The Mercury 8/22/16 by The Mercury

August 22, 2016

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Northside move in delayed

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Head Start, Late Finish Two students recieve college degrees at remarkable ages

Complex puts residents in hotels for 1-2 weeks

STORIES BY CARA SANTUCCI | MANAGING EDITOR YASH MUSALGAONKAR | MERCURY STAFF

Helen Small began college for the first time in 1938. Seventy years later, she continued her degree at UTD. She graduated in 2010 with her master’s in psychological sciences. She was 90 years old at the time.

ESTEBAN BUSTILLOS | MERCURY STAFF

Northside, which is managed by Balfour Beatty Communities, rented buses to take residents to and from the hotels where they’re staying. ESTEBAN BUSTILLOS Mercury Staff

Hundreds of students are without apartments for at least the first week of school due to delays in the construction of Northside, the private luxury apartments north of Synergy Parkway and managed by Balfour Beatty Communities. Over the course of the last week, residents received emails from Northside informing them their apartments would not be ready by the original move-in date of Aug. 19. In copies of the emails obtained by The Mercury, Northside told residents in Block 1, which makes up the west side of the apartment complex, delays on construction of common areas had to be completed before anyone could move in. Although residents in Block 2, the eastern half of the complex, also received a notice of the delay, Northside did not list a specific area in the block that required more attention before the move in date.

Alumna oldest in UTD history

(The students) ended up being so helpful in so many ways. They were so accepting of me.

elen Small’s experience at UTD was a decidedly unconventional one. At her graduation, former president David Daniel held his arm out and walked her across the stage to get her diploma. Her family — which, 29 in number, is decidedly not small — came out to support her in mass. After graduation, the photographer accidentally mixed up the photo of her accepting her diploma. They called and asked her to describe herself. She told them she wears big glasses and has curly hair. It was only after she realized she should’ve mentioned her age — 90 years old. “I knew one day that I was going to go back to school someday and get that degree, because it was an unfulfilled desire of mine to graduate from college,” Small said. “But I didn’t know it was going to take me 70 years to do it.” It was 1938 at the University of Akron in Ohio.

Any mental barriers about ... talking to older students were gone when I found we were ... going through a similar thing.

→ SEE LATE FINISH, PAGE A10

Alumnus started school at 15 years

aron Kotamarti, the youngest student to ever attend UTD, started college when he was just 15 years old. His mother dropped him off on campus every day, parking far enough away so no other students could see. “If I … summarized it, it would be terror at first, but then adapting really quick and having fun,” he said. He graduated from UTD with his master’s degree in bioengineering last May. He was only 21. Starting school so young, Kotamarti said he felt a “lot of anxiety” in the beginning. When he first came to UTD, people were taken aback by his apparent youthfulness or would assume he was the professor’s son. “The cool thing is people got used to it pretty quick, so I got used to it,” he said. Although Kotamarti kept piling on classes, he said he was always committed to sticking with the level of academic rigor he was pursuing.

→ SEE HEAD START, PAGE A10

→ SEE NORTHSIDE, PAGE A10

Alumna voice for Trump campaign

Katrina Pierson earns key spot in politics following years of volunteering, political activism for tea party movement, Republican Party MIRIAM PERCIVAL News Editor

KATRINA PIERSON | COURTESY

UTD alumna Katrina Pierson is currently working as a spokeswoman for Donald Trump’s presidential campaign. After graduating with a degree in biology, she found her calling in politics through volunteering for the Republican Party.

As a national spokeswoman for the Donald Trump presidential campaign, speaking on national television is just one part of alumna Katrina Pierson’s job description. After graduating from UTD in 2006 with her bachelor’s in biology and subsequently working 14 years in the healthcare industry, Pierson said she found her passion in politics. “I started volunteering in Republican grassroots and from there I became more and more interested in the process of change,” she said. “That’s how I was sort of thrusted into the realm of politics.” When Pierson first heard of the new tea party movement in 2008, she said it “fit her to a T” because of its version of a constitutionally limited government. Until this point, she said she hadn’t

been enticed by a political party because she didn’t agree on key issues like outsourcing labor or “cradle to grave” welfare programs. Pierson then became politically active and began volunteering on both local and state campaigns for Republican candidates to help get them elected. She said her son, nieces and nephews inspire her to be an activist because she wants to make the world a better place for them. “I truly believe that evil exists when good men do nothing,” she said. “And I feel like it is our duty as people in a community where if we know something is wrong and we do nothing then we’re part of the problem and not the solution.” Although Pierson said she volunteered on Ted Cruz’s senate campaign in 2012, this year she instead decided to support Donald Trump because she felt he could

overcome any bias in the media. “I was originally a Ted Cruz supporter for his senate race,” she said. “However, I think that it is going to take somebody that is more bold and brash to break through the media to run in 2016.” Pierson said she remembers meeting Trump about six months before he announced his candidacy. “I simply told him, ‘If you’re going to run, I want to help you,’” she said. Pierson said after Trump’s announcement, she was immediately on television as a political commentator defending his right to run for president. Soon after, she was offered a job on the campaign as a spokeswoman. While the job can be rewarding, she said, it requires a 24 hours per day commitment to keep up with political and international events.

→ SEE PIERSON, PAGE A7

Parking Structure 4 open for use All levels of the garage will be operational on Aug. 22. Handicapped spaces are on multiple levels, but the elevators in the structure need more work and will not be ready on the first day of classes. Those unable to use stairs will need to use spaces on the first floor until mid-November. The structure includes 1,150 spaces, with spots for gold, green, orange and purple permits, as well as a few metered spaces. ANDREW GALLEGOS | PHOTO EDITOR SOURCE | NEWS CENTER, OFFICE OF COMMUNICATIONS

Parking Structure 4, which sits on the corner of Franklyn Jenifer Drive and Drive H, will open on Aug. 22.

THE MERCURY | AUG. 22, 2016

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THE MERCURY UTDMERCURY.COM Volume XXXVII No. 23 Editor-in-Chief Nidhi Gotgi

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THE MERCURY | AUG. 22, 2016 NEWS AUG. 22, 2016 | THE MERCURY | UTDMERCURY.COM

UTDPD Blotter August 3 • A jacket was stolen from a staff member’s office in the School of Management at 1:28 p.m. August 6 • An unaffiliated female was arrested for two warrants, going 16 mph over the speed limit and carrying an expired drivers license at 6:54 a.m. on Waterview Parkway. August 9 • A student reported a box of items stolen from the doorstep of his apartment in Phase 6 between 5 a.m. and 10 a.m. August 11 • After a physical altercation at 3:18 p.m. in Phase 2, an unaffiliated male was issued a criminal trespass warning for the entire campus. August 14 • After causing a disturbance in the McDermott Library at 6:37 p.m., an unaffiliated male was issued a criminal trespass warning for the campus. August 15 • A student reported their personal information stolen at 6:51 p.m. August 18 • A bike was stolen from the bike rack next to Resident Hall North at 1:36 p.m.

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LEGEND Contributors Esteban Bustillos Emilio Chavez Eunjee Chong Anthony Inga Emma Mathes Yash Musalgaonkar Alvin Nguyenly Nyemike Okonkwo Shannon Ramirez Matt Strack Kevin Vanhorn

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Media Adviser Chad Thomas

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THE MERCURY | AUG. 22, 2016

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OPINION

AUG. 22, 2016 | THE MERCURY | UTDMERCURY.COM

Indians’ definition of success needs to change Talent in non-academic fields overlooked due to cultural attitude making overall performance of Team India at Olympics weaker NIDHI GOTGI COMMENTARY

For a country with a population of 1.25 billion people, India has lagged behind in medal count since the country’s first Olympic appearance at the 1900 Paris games. Team India has secured as many medals total as the 28 Michael Phelps has earned in his career. According to CNBC, factors such as the irresponsible use of public resources, a weak sports infrastructure and institutional focus on political agendas rather than athletes causes potential Olympic talent to be overlooked or go without proper training facilities and support in India. However, Madhuli Kulkarni, a sports psychologist based in Delhi, said to Euronews that the fact that academics are prioritized over athletics in Indian culture is the most prominent cause for the country’s underperformance at the Olympics.

A Hindi saying, roughly translated, goes, “If you play, you will be a waste, but if you study and do well in school, you will be a king.” This perfectly encapsulates the attitude Indian families share about success, and only a small portion of the population recognizes other displays of excellence in non-academic fields.

This emphasis on academic ... pursuits over forging a path to success through (extracurriculars) has kept much talent at bay.

Growing up in an Indian household, my performance in school was a constant topic of discussion, but not in a way that made me feel trapped. My parents instilled in me the quality to strive for excellence in everything I do, but didn’t limit the opportunities I could explore. For example, I was free to pursue my interests unhindered in college and I was immediately drawn to student media. I grew increasingly involved with each passing year, and although being a student journalist doesn’t directly correlate with the accounting and finance degree I’m pursuing, my parents were

fully supportive of my journey. Others I’ve met in student media, who come from Indian backgrounds, haven’t been so lucky and have to hide their involvement from their parents. This emphasis on academic and classroom-based pursuits over forging a path to success through extracurricular involvement has kept much talent at bay, especially with regards to Indian Olympians. Anirudh Krishna, a professor at Duke University, pointed out to CNBC that India’s talent goes unnoticed because “the root problem … is one of limited and ineffective participation,” for lack of support from the community. However, the parents of some of the athletes at Rio should be commended for their unwavering support. Badminton player P.V. Sindhu’s father took an eight-month leave from work to help his daughter train for her event at the Olympics, driving her to practice at 4 a.m. each morning and discussing her game, according to Sportskeeda. Similarly, gymnast Dipa Karmakar’s father identified her talent as early as 6 years old and enrolled her at the gymnasium in Agartala, the city that’s she’s from, according to the Indian Express. Karmakar earned a gold medal just two years after in the Northeastern Games Competition, setting off her path to Rio. Although a total of 117 athletes are

PRATIK BEHERA via FLICKR | COURTESY

P.V. Sindhu medaled silver in the badminton finals of the Rio Olympics. Her parents’ support for her career in sports is one exception to the cultural stigma that success only lies in academic pursuits.

representing India during the 2016 Summer Olympics, the largest delegation yet, many of those competitors have had to fight for their ability to participate. A big reason for that is a narrowminded approach to success and lack of support from members of an athlete or

Comets and Craters

potential athlete’s household. Boria Majumdar, an Indian sports scholar, said it best: “Unless there is a synergized sports culture, you will never win a string of medals. A fundamental overhaul is needed and urgently so.”

CLASSIFIED

Parking Structure 4 opens

Northside move in delayed

Need part-time nanny to pick up TWO children from school

With five levels of over 1,000 new parking spaces, Parking Structure 4 is open for use. A mixture of metered, purple, orange, gold, green and handicapped spaces are available for users with appropriate parking passes.

Hundreds of students have been forced to move in later than expected due to unfinished construction in the luxury apartments across Synergy Park Boulevard. Many had to adjust to temporary living arrangements.

Hours: 2:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m., 3 - 4 times per week

Welcome Week activities

Summer comes to an end

Two weeks filled with free t-shirts, food and exciting ways to get to know the campus and its people make for the perfect way to kick off the school year.

While some are still trying to fix their sleep schedules and cross off things on their summer bucket lists, classes will resume in full swing and syllabi will project yet another challenging semester.

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THE MERCURY | AUG. 22, 2016

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NEWS

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Sanders voters remain faithful

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ANDREW GALLEGOS | PHOTO EDITOR

EPPS professor Euel Elliot credits the continued support for Bernie Sanders as a fundamental split between traditional Democrats and party outliers. Mercury Staff

At the 2016 Democratic National Convention, Hillary Clinton was named the party’s presidential nominee. Some Bernie Sanders supporters, however, are not giving up the fight. As Clinton’s campaign accepts large donations from corporate sources and billionaires, Sanders supporter UTD Democratic Socialist President Nicholas St. John said he questions what interests Clinton serves. “I think Hillary Clinton is a liar and she’ll say anything to get elected,” he said. “I have a hard time believing she means what she’s actually been saying.” St. John is an ardent Sanders supporter and was in Philadelphia during the DNC. He said he believes Sanders is a man of integrity. He views Clinton as the opposite. “It’s hard to go from somebody that you can trust every word they say to somebody that you know is just another corporate puppet,” he said. Voters, like St. John, express unwavering dedication to Sanders on social media, deploying hashtags like NeverClinton, NeverHillary, and circulating petitions that ask visitors to promise to never vote for Clintion. Euel Elliott, political science professor and associate dean of undergraduate studies in the School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences, said he believes Clinton’s strengths can also be viewed as weaknesses. “The fact that she is a woman clearly makes a difference for some folks,” Elliott said. “I think her obvious connection to Bill Clinton, who in the view of most people had a successful administration in spite of some of the problems he had toward the very end. I think because her position as secretary of state, people perceive her as having that kind of competence ... some people are looking for. On the other hand, there’s going to be people that look at that very same set of facts and say, ‘That’s why we’re looking for someone else.’” Although Clinton and Sanders represent the Democratic Party electorate, Elliott said

he believes Sanders supporters’ reasons for being bearish on Clinton are straightforward. “I think fundamentally the ClintonSanders contest was a split between Sanders, the Populist, and Hillary, the more mainstream and traditional Democrat,” he said. Elliott said Sanders supporters are also reluctant to get on board with Clinton due to what she seemingly represents. “In terms of the Clinton-Sanders contest, I think an awful lot of Democrats see Hillary as being part of that elite stratum who have somewhat become divorced from the concerns of the middle class, working class individuals and the underclass,” he said. “They believe there simply is this disconnect between the economic, cultural and political elites and the rest of us.” Elliott said he acknowledges how politics are played and how traditional politics have led to Clinton being labeled as distrustful. Also, he said Clinton’s public speaking style can be viewed as disingenuous. “I think it probably comes from this historical tendency on her part to try to tailor her message to the particular group to which she’s addressing at a particular moment in time,” he said. “All politicians probably try to tailor their message in a certain way toward particular audiences, but I think in her case, whether fairly or unfairly, she’s seen as being (more) egregious in that regard than others.” Elliott said Sanders is probably guilty of the same tendencies from time to time, but that his messages were steadier. “Although I can’t recall specific instances when he tried to tailor the responses, but I think he’s probably more consistent. I’m sure he did to some extent but I think one of the appealing things about Sanders is he basically provided the same basic message to everybody,” Elliott said. Elliot said he believes when polling stations open in November, most Sanders supporters will cast their votes for Clinton. “I think the overwhelming percentage number of Sanders supporters will end up voting for her,” he said. “Either way they will

→ PIERSON

Student, professor explain resistance to Clinton

NYEMIKE OKONKWO

THE MERCURY | AUG. 22, 2016

CHAD AUSTIN | ASSISTANT GRAPHICS EDITOR

“You have to keep up with everything that’s happening in the election cycle on your side and the other,” she said. “You have to keep track of all of the world events, you have to make sure that the communications on the team are all streamlined, so that everybody is talking about the same topic on a daily basis.” With Pierson’s past experience as a political commentator, she said she was familiar with speaking on TV and its requirements. However, she said working on the campaign as a spokeswoman opened her eyes to the bias she says the media exhibits toward Trump. “At first I thought the media just leaned left and that’s what they would report, but we’ve seen now that they take active measures to try and attempt to make Mr. Trump look bad,” she said. Pierson explained her support for Trump as a woman by pointing out that Trump has placed women in top positions in his company, particularly in the 1980’s when it wasn’t the norm. She also said Trump continues to do this by recently hiring a woman, Kellyanne Conway, as his campaign manager. “The way I look at Donald Trump is when he is talking about any of the comments he has made, they have always been targeted to a specific individual,” she said. “But because it’s Donald Trump they take one comment made toward one individual, usually defending himself, and they spread that across an entire demographic. It’s absolutely absurd.” Additionally, Pierson said when Trump is on TV, he is often defending himself against or fighting back attacks. Because of this, she said the portrayal of Trump on TV is not the same as what he is behind the scenes. To counteract negative portrayals of Trump in the media, Pierson said the campaign has Trump speak directly to voters by having him give policy speeches. Being featured on television as a spokeswoman for the campaign also opens Pierson up to criticism from others. Pierson said when this happens, she thinks of the quote, “Well behaved women rarely make history.” “You have to acknowledge that this comes with the territory and sometimes it’s worse for others, she said. “I’ve also learned a long time ago that one of the greatest limitations to success is caring what other people think, so you just have to take that with a grain of salt.” To students who are still undecided about who to vote for this November, Pierson advised them to look at the facts and to look beyond what the critics are saying. “I also hear a lot (that people) don’t like how Mr. Trump says things,” she said. “Are we really going to vote our first vote based on a personality? Or are we going to cast our vote on really making change in this country.” While Pierson doesn’t have any set plans after this election season, she said her main goal is to help Trump get elected in November. “It’s not bad to set goals,” she said. “But my goal has really become what can I do to help people break free from the unhappiness they have in their lives or how can I help influence policies that really relieves the strain from people?”

Engineering graduate student starts medical company UTD team leader's winning device from national design competition launches business NIDHI GOTGI Editor-in-Chief

After a UTD engineering team won a national design competition, a group member co-founded a medical device company that modified the team’s design to relieve hemorrhoids, which affects 30 percent of the U.S. population. The design project spanned over the past academic year. During the second semester, Tyler Markle, a mechanical engineering graduate student and team leader, was asked to participate in company meetings with CerSci Therapeutics, which was sponsoring the team. That eventually led to Markle cofounding the new company Logan Medical Devices, with CerSci Therapeutics’ owner among the members on the board of directors. Markle, who led the team, said the group won top honors at the Capstone Design Conference held at the University of Ohio in June. There, the team presented their senior design project.

Initially, the group worked on a device that would help patients without the ability to control their bowel movements, an issue faced by 10 percent of the U.S. population. “Our project was to develop a rectal array injection device and what this (impacts) is currently there’s a problem out there called fecal incontinence,” he said. “Fifty percent of nursing home residents (are) affected.” Markle said he chose this particular project from a list provided in his senior design class because he was interested in designing medical tools. “I just think the biomedical area is really rife for improvement right now, especially with all the strides we’ve made … including novel concepts like 3-D printing, where you can easily fabricate parts that are groundbreaking,” Markle said. Team member and biomedical engineering graduate student Rashed Rihani said the fact they worked with CerSci, which is a start-up, gave them an advantage in the process of building the prototype. “What stood out is that (CerSci)

was a local company, so what that meant to us was we would get a bit more freedom,” he said. “With the bigger companies… they would make sure you couldn’t really talk to anyone about it. It was easy to communicate back and forth.” However, mechanical engineering graduate student and another team member Yara Aolmubarak, said the process didn’t come without challenges. “When (we started) … we had to create all these drawings and (figure) out the movements (and) degrees of freedom of the design,” she said. “It took us I think a month or two months for us just to figure out how we’re going to get the mechanism to move. That was a big issue.” Although the team presented their design in June, Logan Medical Devices was incorporated in May and Markle began working at the company to modify the prototype to help a larger demographic. The focus switched from treating fecal incontinence to addressing hemorrhoids since it affects a portion

of the population three times greater, Markle said. “One of the main things was retooling the device based on some early customer feedback,” he said. “We went from the dual trigger system to a single trigger system just because people thought it was confusing when they (grabbed) it.” Since then, Markle been coldcalling gastroenterology clinics, applying to Small Business and Innovation Research grants and preparing to interface with doctors at the American College of Gastroenterology conference in October to build support for the hemorrhoid model of the device. Markle said he grew up watching his father, who was an entrepreneur, choose projects he believed would have a “huge potential payoff.” He said he felt the same way about designing the medical device with his team. “I really believed in the project as soon as I saw that on the list, that was that number one pick and I didn’t want anything else,” Markle said.

YASH MUSALGAONKAR | MERCURY STAFF

Rashed Rihani (left), Yara Aolmubarak (center) and Tyler Markle won a national design competition as an engineering team. Markle went on to found a company with the winning device.

THE MERCURY | AUG. 22, 2016

UTDMERCURY.COM

THE MERCURY | AUG. 22, 2016

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THE MERCURY | AUG. 22, 2016

NEWS

Program director to make degree more marketable New American studies hire plans to bring in all majors to classes Andrew Busch began work at UTD as the director of American studies in the School of Interdisciplinary Studies on Aug. 1. The Mercury sat down with him to discuss his plans for the program and how he believes American studies classes can provide value to a student’s education.

to kind of sell American studies to students who weren’t familiar with it — and that’s a general problem with American studies that people don’t know quite what it is.

How did you get into American studies?

The university is definitely in growth mode. It’s growing quickly, I think there are a lot of opportunities to make American studies and Interdisciplinary studies more vibrant than it already is and I think that’s something that I enjoy doing. Another thing about UTD that I noticed immediately is how diverse it is. One issue that I had with Miami is that it’s not very demographically or intellectually diverse. And that’s something I really appreciate. I feel like it makes for a better classroom and I feel like a diverse environment is something that is just good overall, particularly when we’re doing things like cultural awareness and intercultural competency.

I was actually very into eastern religion in my undergrad and I went to India on a fellowship to do some work over there and my eyes were opened. It was my first time out of the United States. My eyes were really opened to what the rest of the world was like. I came back and realized, one, what kind of a bubble I had been living in, and two, that was something that I was wholly unaware of. That got me kind of interested in American studies. I’ve always been involved in history — that was my undergraduate major — but I always felt American studies could give historical perspective, but also allow for me to bring history into the present. I’ve realized the most important thing about American studies is the way that it allows for taking perspectives and skills. You can improve yourself intellectually and professionally using American studies. What was the last school you worked at like? My position at Miami (University in Cincinnati) was called visiting assistant professor. I broadened my horizons quite a bit. I taught mostly large classes to students from across the university, not a lot of American studies students but students from everywhere. I found it very valuable. It forced me

How is UTD different from your previous university?

American studies is a small department. What are your goals for it? What I want is for more people to take American studies classes. One of the sort of unfortunate parts about what’s happened to universities since the recession in 2008 is that it’s very much become a numbers game. We have to justify our existence by saying we’re teaching this many people, we’re graduating this many majors. So in one sense, it’s an imperative from the state that we need to grow American studies. On the other hand, I want more and more people coming to American studies because I really do believe it’s something very beneficial. In American studies, we

ANDREW GALLEGOS | PHOTO EDITOR

Andrew Busch began as the director of American studies on Aug. 1.

don’t think of students as being trained to do one specific thing. We think of students as gaining their own perspectives, their own skills that then allow them to choose from a variety of careers. You’re learning to explore. How will you get students from other majors to take American studies classes? That’s always going to be difficult. What I’m going to try to do is every semester teach a class that brings in students from across the university, one that fills other requirements, and then use those classes as a way to attract students. At my old job, I was very much responsible for that. I also am trying to figure out ways to make American studies marketable. That means working with undergrad students and other people. Starting social things to draw students in and get them to say, “Hey, American studies is a great thing for me professionally but also, perhaps, socially.”

→ NORTHSIDE

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At press time, Northside officials have not returned requests from The Mercury on specific reasons for the delay and what work still needs to be done. In the emails sent to residents, Sarah Morrison, the community manager for Northside, said the apartment complex is providing temporary living arrangements, storage and transportation for any residents who are without apartments. For anyone who accepted the offer, Northside provided hotel rooms at the InterContinental Dallas in Addison, the Holiday Inn Dallas-Richardson off of Central Expressway and Candlewood Suites Dallas Plano East Richardson. In the email, Morrison said Northside is paying for the hotel rooms and the hotels will provide breakfast, lunch and dinner to students staying there. Morrison also said residents who choose not to stay in the hotel will have their rent abated at a per day rate. The money will then be credited to the residents’ accounts. At press time, Northside officials have not returned requests from The Mercury for confirmation of the number of students housed at the hotels or the total cost of the temporary arrangements. Northside is also providing bus transportation for students to and from the hotels Monday through Friday between 7 a.m. and 11 p.m. Buses will leave from the hotels every 30 minutes. They will stop at the intersection of Rutford and Synergy twice an hour at the 15 and 45 minute marks. In the email, Morrison said Northside provided a professional moving company to move any personal items into a temporary storage facility. Movers will also be arranged to help residents move into the apartments once they are ready. Students will not have access to their personal belongings while they are at the storage facility. On the Saturday before school started, cars still rolled in to the residential parking lot at Northside to drop off furniture and other items. Movers scrambled to quickly put the items in boxes and load them into shipping units. Miguel Rocha, a management information systems junior who planned to move into Northside, said by phone he chose to live at Northside because it’s new and close to campus. Northside sent an email to Rocha two days before move-in that his apartment would not be ready on time. “It was surprising, but it wasn’t too surprising,” Rocha said. “Everyone could tell that these guys are not going to finish it on time.” Rocha is staying at the Holiday Inn for the time being and said it’s nice, although he admitted it’s an inconvenience to be away from campus. Brandon Johnson, a geospatial information sciences junior, also planned to move into Northside. He had to call his mother and shift around his schedule to accommodate the change. “I was a bit frustrated just because my living situation right now is fairly stable, but it would have been really nice to have moved in on time,” he said. “I had been geared toward that, I had a bunch of plans set around that and it kind of sucks to have all your plans thrown up in the air, especially when school’s about to start.” Johnson is from Austin and he will be living with his girlfriend, for the time being. “I didn’t expect this, it kind of blindsided me,” he said.

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Small was standing in the registration line to begin her college career when she saw a “gorgeous,” 6-foot-4 freshman in front of her — he later became her husband. She soon after dropped out of school to start their family. Small and her husband owned a home-building business together for 40 years. After 62 years of marriage, he passed away. Small started at UTD in 2004, mere months after her husband’s passing, and said the university and its community helped keep her afloat. “After so many years of married life, I was at loose ends,” she said. “Studying and working for degrees was an outlet for energy that I didn’t know what to do with. I’d worked all my life and all of a sudden, here I am like a ship without an anchor. I felt that studying at the university has been a lifesaver for me.” Before starting at UTD, however, she took classes at community college to learn how to use a computer. The first time she began college, computers weren’t even invented. She graduated later from UTD with a bachelor’s in psychology in 2007 before going on to complete her master’s in psychological sciences in 2010. “Going to the University of Texas at Dallas has been a wonderful experience for me,” she said. “It’s opened doors that I’ve never ever dreamt of having the opportunity to go through.” Some of her previous professors have asked her to come to their classes and speak about her experiences. Especially, she said, when the classes were discussing longevity. “I try to emphasize to them … if your education is interrupted, it doesn’t matter,” Small said. “You can go back anytime at all and continue.

→ HEAD START

… Age is no barrier when it comes to education.” She said part of what drove her to finally go back and finish her degree was the support of her three sons — all of whom, she said, are doctors. “They’d call me up and they’d say, ‘What are you doing, mom?’ (I’d say) I was reading a book or watching television,” she said. “(They’d say), ‘Well, why aren’t you studying?’” When Small’s three sons were in college, she said she’d encourage them never to wait until the last minute to study for exams. However, she was surprised to find herself cramming on more than one occasion when it was her turn at university. Before she got into the swing of everyday life at UTD, Small said she was worried the other students wouldn’t accept her because of the age difference. “(The younger people) ended up being so helpful in so many ways,” she said. “They were so accepting of me and I never could get over it. Their friendship meant so much to me at that stage in my life.” Post-graduation, Small went on to work for the Center for Vital Longevity at UTD. After falling in her apartment and injuring her back, she had to leave that position to recover. At age 91 and still unready to slow down, Small decided to do volunteer work in the McDermott Library and at Meals on Wheels. Small will retire at the end of the year. However, she doesn’t plan to just sit around during her retirement. “I’ll probably take some courses online,” she said. “I’ve got to keep my mind active.” Small, who would’ve “crawled to class” if that was what she had to do to earn her degree, will turn 97 at the end of this year. Her daughters-in-law suggested she take up knitting or bridge instead to fill her time. She refused. “I’m saving that for my old age,” she said.

eighth grade when he started attending the Richland Collegiate Program at Richland Community College in lieu of regular high school. In this “It kept me on my toes the way, he was able to earn dual credit whole time,” he said. “(It) was both in his high school classes, giving him a jump-start on college. stimulating and overwhelming.” “The funny thing is, by the time Although the first few years were full of peers outside his age range, I joined (Richland’s) high school program, I had alonce he began his ready finished all the graduate degree at age high school classes by 17, he said he found doing them online,” more common ground he said. “Rather than with other students. taking the classes like “Then, the freshhistory … I did the men were all my age,” first two years of my he said. “I was thinkengineering degree ing, ‘Hey, these peothere.” ple are just as young When he took his as me now. That’s pretty cool.’ That’s KOTAMARTI first university-level class at the community when things picked up a college, Kotamarti remembers feelbit more socially with me.” Once Kotamarti turned 18, he ing terrified. However, he soon was able to move into Residence realized he was undergoing evHall North and live away from erything normal college freshmen home for the first time. Being a were experiencing. “Any mental barriers about more conventional college age, he felt comfortable getting involved in socializing and talking to older clubs on campus. He joined MUS- students were gone when I found we were really going through a NET, a music group at UTD. “I was able to meet a lot of similar thing,” he said. “After a people (in that club),” he said. while, we connected through “I probably had the most fun other ways, (like) music … and over there, just doing music with I found myself really enjoying their company.” other friends.” He left the Richland ColleKotamarti said looking back, he wished he had slowed down a little giate Program with his associbit from time to time, lessening ate’s degree. He graduated from UTD with academic rigor in favor of getting involved further on campus. How- a double major in biology and ever, he said his drive to take more electrical engineering, as well as classes and push himself harder his master’s degree. Although he had to choose his major much long predates his time at UTD. While he was transferring from earlier than the average college private to public school in middle student would, Kotamarti said he school, he had to take an online doesn’t have any regrets. “I always liked building and course to keep up in algebra. “I realized, ‘Hey, I’m pretty creating things as a kid, whether good at these online courses. it was through Legos or art,” he Why don’t I do this for every- said. “Combined with my affinity for math and science made me a thing?’” he said. Kotamarti worked with his dad fit for engineering, where I learned to create a plan to take online class- how to build things using math and science.” es on top of his daily schoolwork. Kotamarti will be starting work “I was up for it. It was a healthy challenge,” he said. “The fact that come January — although he’s still I could do it made me feel like I deciding which company to choose. “I’m transitioning from school, should do it.” Kotamarti’s fast track began in finally, (to) real life,” he said.

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LIFE&ARTS

AUG. 22, 2016 | THE MERCURY | UTDMERCURY.COM

B1 HAMID SHAH | GRAPHICS EDITOR

Through the Grapevine Alumnus, wife open vineyard steps from tree where they shared first kiss MIRIAM PERCIVAL News Editor

itting on the branches of an old hackberry tree, a young couple watched the sunset. Tentatively leaning forward, UTD alumnus Chris Grider kissed his high school sweetheart, Crystal, for the first time 18 years ago. Now, only steps from the tree, the Griders opened their winery, the Kissing Tree Vineyard. Last month, the vineyard opened its wine tasting room to the public for the first time since its founding in 2014. “My wife and I always had a dream to retire and start a winery out in Central Texas and we decided, ‘Why wait, let’s do it now,’” Grider said. Close to the hackberry tree, on Crystal’s family’s land in Eddy, Texas was an old bank. The Griders decided to repurpose it for the winery. Grider said the bank was built in 1901 and helps to give the winery a distinct, old western feel, especially since it still has a vault with a working door. They now use the vault as a cellar to store the wine. Grider first discovered his passion for wine years before he came to UTD while he was in the Army and stationed in San Antonio. He and his wife would drive up to hill country as often as they could to enjoy the local wineries. “I loved the area. I loved taking tours and soaking in as much as I could. I started making wine at

home in San Antonio,” he said. After retiring from the Army, Grider and his wife moved back to Dallas and he began working in sales downtown at Neiman Marcus. Grider saw construction crews renovating an old building on one of his regular walks to work. He stopped to ask what they were building and discovered it was a winery called Swirll. Excited about the

project, Grider continued talking to the man who he then discovered was the owner. The owner offered both Grider and Crystal jobs at the winery in Dallas where they worked for three years, gaining experience making and selling wine. After graduating in 2012 with his master’s in fine arts, Grider worked for several years as a teacher in McKinney ISD. He loved

his job, but hadn’t forgotten his dream to one day own a winery. Two years later, he quit his job at the school district and pursued his dream. The vineyard now includes an art gallery that features local artists. Their inaugural show, ‘Texture and Color of Texas,’ focuses on the scenery of Texas and each artist’s unique perspective. “Right now I’m really focusing on Texas artists. ... (The show has) five

KISSING TREE VINEYARD | COURTESY

UTD graduate Chris Grider founded Kissing Tree Vineyards in 2014 with his wife, Crystal, fulfilling their lifelong dream of owning and operating a winery. The vineyard uses a repurposed old bank for the winery, an art gallery that features local artists, a venue for parties and a tasting room that opened in early June.

IN THE PUBLIC EYE Well-known Pub staff member shares background, hobbies, aspirations BHARGAV ARIMILLI Life and Arts Editor

Ryan Noelle can juggle taking orders, brewing coffee and serving food with mechanical efficiency. Noelle is also an avid drummer and proficient computer programmer — something that many of the regulars at the Pub, for whom Noelle is a familiar face and consistent part of their days, may not know. Since joining the Pub’s staff in 2014, Noelle has worked to bring smiles to countless customers’ faces. “First and foremost, I enjoy just seeing my customers happy,” he said. “Seeing them happy is really what drives me to do a better job ... everyday.” Born in El Paso, Noelle, now 24, moved to Fort Worth at the age of 2 so his father could complete a master’s degree in music theory. During kindergarten, his family moved to Gonzales, a small town near San Antonio where he spent most of his childhood. Noelle noted the challenge of moving around frequently and leaving behind formative friendships, but said he also appreciated living in different ANDREW GALLEGOS | PHOTO EDITOR places because of the different people and cultures he experienced. Ryan Noelle moved to Dallas in search of opportunities to study computer sci“There was always one big thing ence and works at the Pub to support himself. Noelle settled in Dallas after movstuck in my mind — that I was in ing around Texas throughout his childhood. a small town thinking there’s these people and this is all there is to the El Paso, Noelle was a member of his a passion.” Noelle took a year off after high world,” he said. “But really, the world school’s drumline and began to deis giant and there are so many (differ- velop a serious interest in music — school graduation to work at a local ent) people.” specifically, drumming. Walmart and then spent two years Nurtured by his father, at a local community college studyWhen Noelle was 10, the school’s band direc- ing computer science with the hope his family returned to First and foretor, Noelle joined a lo- of enrolling in a four-year computEl Paso to care for his most, I enjoy just cal band and performed er science program. He turned to a ailing great-grandmothseeing my cusat bars, his church, friend enrolled in the ATEC program er. For him, the return house concerts and with at UTD, who offered him a place to to his birthplace was tomers happy. the El Paso Symphony stay. Shortly after arriving in Dallas, unexpectedly jarring. ... Seeing them Orchestra. Noelle con- Noelle interviewed for a position at “El Paso has a pretinues to play in his free the Pub. He got the job. dominant Hispanic happy is really Two weeks later, in August of 2014, time and said he hopes culture, which was what drives me to join UTD’s music Noelle took the plunge, packed his something I had never to do a better job program to further de- car and drove to Dallas with $150 in experienced before. It his pocket. He said the adjustment to velop his passion. was a big culture shock ... everyday. for me. … People “I’ve been playing this chapter of his life wasn’t as drasspoke Spanish and I the drums for 20 years tic as those in his childhood because — Ryan Noelle, had no idea what they now,” he said. “Music of the friends he’s been able to make Pub employee were saying,” he said. has been a big thing in in Dallas. “I was too timid or too shy to “It was like a foreign my life. It was nice havcountry to me.” ing my dad there to bring that along. → SEE NOELLE, PAGE B3 While attending high school in He really allowed me to explore that as

different artists that live along the Brazos Valley so they all have their take on what Texas is to them,” Grider said. Grider said that his education from UTD helped him integrate the wine and art gallery together into a cohesive project. “I really use the ATEC program’s interdisciplinary approach to things. I am doing art and wine, I’m putting these two things together and I have an art gallery and wine in the same place,” he said. The winery also features local bands every Saturday night where they perform shows in the tasting room. In addition to their tasting room, the Griders also sell their wine at local farmers’ markets and wine festivals. They recently won silver at the 2016 Lone Star International Wine Festival for their white wine. Grider said that he expects this to be the first of many successes as they are scheduled to compete in several festivals this upcoming year. “All those years later that’s actually where we make our wine, 20 feet away from where the tree is,” he said. “The tree is still there and that’s where our winery is now. We climb the same tree and that’s kind of neat.”

Alumnus unveils new art exhibition Latest installment of acclaimed series now on display

TRACY GREENE | COURTESY

Gabriel Dawe was selected for UTD’s CentralTrak program and graduated with a master’s degree in 2011. He now works as a textiles artist and designer. BHARGAV ARIMILLI

After quitting his job, Dawe enrolled at UTD to pursue an M.A. in aesthetics. During his last two years, he was seA UTD alumnus’ new art installa- lected for UTD’s CentralTrak program, tion is now on display at the Amon an artist-in-residency initiative that provides artists an opportuCarter Museum in nity to live, create and Fort Worth. exhibit their work. Textiles artist and The process to “I really liked the master’s graduate Gaapproach any flexibility of the probriel Dawe’s latest installation is gram,” he said. “(It) repiece, “Plexus no. 34,” went on display earlier always very simi- ally gave me a platform to make myself known this month and is the lar. I go (to) the in the Dallas art comlatest iteration of his munity and eventually “Plexus” series, which space ... to figure outside Dallas, as well.” is comprised of over out what (it) is Dawe said he was also 30 pieces that use layasking of me. inspired to pursue a caered thread to create reer in art after rememsemi-transparent visu— Gabriel Dawe, bering a childhood probals. Alumnus and artist lem he faced. After obtaining an “My grandmother undergraduate degree, Dawe worked as a graphic designer, would teach my sister how to embut said he was worn out by having to broider but she wouldn’t teach me,” deal with clients and working in front of a computer all day. → SEE DAWE, PAGE B3 Life and Arts Editor

THE MERCURY | AUG. 22, 2016

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LIFE&ARTS

THE MERCURY | AUG. 22, 2016

STUDENT STARS IN SHOW Junior expands theater resume with leading role

ESTEBAN BUSTILLOS | MERCURY STAFF

Speech and pathology student Arianna Reyher plays the role of Kim McAfee in Repertory Company Theatre’s production of “Bye Bye Birdie.” Reyher has been performing with RCT since she was 10 years old. ESTEBAN BUSTILLOS Mercury Staff

Even though she doesn’t show it, Arianna Reyher is going through her own personal version of hell. The 20-year-old speech and pathology junior, who is performing in Repertory Company Theatre’s production of the musical “Bye Bye Birdie,” nonchalantly sips on a mint tea in a crowded Starbucks as she goes through everything required to get ready for the show. The cast and crew are just a day away from the show hitting the stage and preparation is in full swing. Everything from lighting to choreography to wardrobe has to be perfect. Reyher admits the final week before a show goes live is always the hardest. She even has a name for it. “We call it ‘Hell Week,’” Reyher said. “It’s the worst week.” She rehearses with the cast for about five hours each night during the final week before the show.

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he said. “Notions of gender identity I grew up with would dictate that boys were not able to sew or embroider because they’re male and that was female work.” This childhood experience was part of the inspiration for "Plexus A1", an installation made of embroidered thread that stretches from floor to ceiling in a repeating fashion. The piece was originally created specifically for display at the Renwick Gallery in Washington, D.C. Dawe said he also drew inspiration from the architectural style of the Renwick, which was modeled after the Louvre in Paris. “I (was given) one of the most challenging rooms because the room had ... columns in the middle and I had to come

→ NOELLE

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try new things or meet new people,” Noelle said. “In retrospect, I should have done (that) a lot sooner. When I moved from El Paso to (Dallas), I had two or three friends here, but being more open is what allowed me to make those friends. Though Noelle has settled into his job at the Pub, his work has not

She said she hasn’t even thought about getting ready for the upcoming school year. Still, Reyher pushes through. She stocks up on Throat Coat tea laced with licorice and marshmallow roots to help sooth her sore throat before taking the stage. Even though she has outside priorities, Reyer makes sure she can perform. No matter what, the show must go on. “Theater always had my back,” she said. “When things were going wrong and school was super stressful in middle school and high school, I would always go to theater class and it would just be so fun. I guess it’s kind of like an escape and also kind of like a constant for me.” Reyher started performing at the age of 4 at the behest of her mother, Patricia Reyher, who put her daughter in private singing lessons. “I think my mom pushed me because she always wanted to be a singer, so she kind of pushed me in

that regard,” Reyher said. Although she is originally from Florida, Reyher and her family moved to Dallas when she was 10 years old. Reyher said her mother wanted her to be more involved in theater so Reyher could find friends. She started attending classes at the Repertory Company Theatre. Laura Alley, the director of education at the school of musical theater at RCT and the director of “Bye Bye Birdie,” met Reyher about six years ago when the singer auditioned for a part in “Alice in Wonderland.” Alley said Reyher has one of the best voices she’s heard for someone Reyher’s age. “It just has a really unique quality,” Alley said. “It almost has a Disneyesque quality to it. It’s just got such a pleasing tone. She’s very versatile as a singer, she can sing both Soprano and Alto, she can sing classical and pop music. She’s got a fantastic voice.” Since moving to Dallas, Reyher has only been away from Repertory for a significant amount of time

up with something that would interact with those columns,” he said. “I found that my work really related to those architectural details.” "Plexus no. 34" was created in a similar fashion to "Plexus A1." “The process to approach any installation is always very similar,” Dawe said. “I go and have some sort of dialogue with the space, trying to figure out what (it) is asking of me.” Though Dawe always uses the same method of approaching his installations, each space brings its own set of challenges. The Amon Carter posed a unique obstacle for him. Because of the large space and high ceilings, Dawe had to use a lift that would take him 35 feet off the floor. “(The lifts) move a lot up there,” he said. “It’s like standing

on a boat — you’re swaying.” Light was also an important consideration for the installation, as the angle at which light hits the installation creates different perspectives for viewers. From these different perspectives, the threads used in the piece seem to curve into space and defy gravity. “I think the best thing people can do in relating to the work is to just move around it,” Dawe said. “The mind is bypassed and the work touches something deep inside us. It reconnects us to a childlike sense of wonder.” "Plexus no. 34" opened for exhibition on Aug. 16 and will remain at the Amon Carter for two years. Later in September, Dawe will travel to San Antonio to create a piece for the city’s airport.

come without challenges. A recurring problem for Noelle is inconsistency in staffing for the semester. The majority of student workers at the Pub are graduate students who often accept internships at varying points during the year, leaving vacancies behind. “I rarely have a staff that stays for the entire semester,” he said. Noelle said he hopes to eventually enroll in the computer science pro-

gram at UTD once he has saved enough money for tuition, with a goal of pursuing a career in the software or video game industry. “Hopefully, I’ll be doing some coding on something fun. Really, to be in the industry at all is a blast,” he said. “That was the main reason I got out here in the first place. I don’t see myself not making it.”

once. Her freshman year of college, she attended Emerson College in Boston, Mass. She took pride in being one of only nine other girls accepted to the school’s freshman program for theater. About halfway through the year, however, Reyher decided to leave and study speech pathology. The stress of having to study theater rather than just performing for fun started to get to Reyher. “(Studying theater) made me not enjoy it as much and I didn’t want to do that,” she said. “I really enjoy performing so I wanted to find a way that I could still do it and also focus on something different.” When she moved back to Dallas and started at UTD, she began working again with the Repertory Company Theatre, but she also got involved with the Comet Theatre Company, a campus group that puts on productions run entirely by students after running into Rachael Bernstein, an RCT alumna who directed

the group’s production of “Little Women.” The play also happened to be the Comet Theatre Company’s first ever show. Bernstein said it helped to have Reyher in the cast. “She’s not only an excellent performer, but she works hard and she wants to please and she wants to do a good job for the sake of the show,” she said. “Not just because she’s a lead but because the entire show is important to her, which was excellent to have in ‘Little Women,’ especially because we were a brand new company.” That professionalism shows when Reyher is on stage for “Bye Bye Birdie.” Outfitted in a bubblegum pink dress, white sneakers and an auburn wig with a white headband, the actress is barely recognizable. The play revolves around Conrad Birdie, an Elvis-like rock star, and his quest to give one last kiss to an American girl before heading off to war.

Reyher stars as Kim McAfee, an innocent Ohio girl chosen to give Birdie a departing embrace. Reyher transforms into McAfee when she’s on stage at the dress rehearsal, her voice serenading the audience with its gleeful sound. It really is like listening to a Disney princess in real life, which isn’t surprising given Reyher’s dream of one day performing as a character in the parades at Disneyland. As the lights overhead dim and Reyher takes her curtain call, she beams and waves to the crowd. The show runs for another two weeks, so she’ll have time to add tweaks and make the performance better. Even with all the stress of putting on a musical, it’s all worth it for Reyher. Performing is where she finds herself best. “It makes me happy performing,” she said. “Either being behind the scenes or just being a part of it or going to see shows all the time. I could see myself doing this for a while.”

CHAD AUSTIN | ASSISTANT GRAPHICS EDITOR

THE MERCURY | AUG. 22, 2016

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SPORTS

AUG. 22, 2016 | THE MERCURY | UTDMERCURY.COM

Player settles in new role

HORSE ANDREW GALLEGOS | PHOTO ILLUSTRATION LAUREN HOOVER | COURTESY

power

UTD athlete adapts to coming off bench

Equestrian junior maintains close bond with show horse while competing across United States, internationally

PABLO JUAREZ Sports Editor

Lauren Hoover and Blackie have known each other for four years. They have trained countless hours together, competed on international stages and occasionally experienced bumps in their relationship. Blackie is Hoover’s show horse. Hoover, an accounting junior, is a competitive horseback rider. She didn’t get involved with the sport until her junior year in high school. She said her friends started going to shows and that eventually piqued her interest. She competes both domestically and internationally against other riders over the course of several days. “There are three different components to a competition,” she said. “You have a flatwork phase called dressage, a jumping phase where you’re in an arena jumping fences that can fall down and then the third phase is the cross-country phase and you’re basically galloping through the woods or a big field, jumping fences or jumping into and out of water.” The months leading up to a competition can be especially grueling and the training regimen depends on the

MERCURY FILE PHOTO

Senior guard McKenzie Petty gives team spark off the bench. PABLO JUAREZ Sports Editor

level of difficulty of the specific course where the competition is being held. “I’ve gotten Blackie ready for a show that was at the international level but it was here in Texas,” Hoover said. “It required a ton of conditioning and a crazy amount of riding. Sometimes I would ride Blackie twice a day — before and after school. But that’s not very common. You’ll have six weeks (of training) leading up to a show and that’ll be the first show of the season. Once you get those six weeks (out of the way) it’s easier to maintain in between.” Riders don’t get to see the course

they will be competing in until a few days before the competition is set to begin. Hoover said those days are especially stressful and a horse’s mood on a given day can make or break a

competition for any rider. “(Horses) are animals and they

→ SEE EQUESTRIAN, PAGE B7

Every time senior guard McKenzie Petty puts on a game jersey, regardless of what team she’s playing on, it usually has one meaning — game time. The UTD emblem on the front of her jersey carries the same meaning, but now from a different perspective. Petty was a three-year basketball varsity starter for Maypearl High School before coming to UTD, appearing in 88 games throughout that time span. She was a focal point on the team, playing multiple positions and seldom getting pulled out of games. In her first two collegiate seasons, her role drastically changed. She understood that coming to UTD meant less playing time than she was accustomed to because she was joining an already established program, but it didn’t set in until it became a reality.

→ SEE ROLE-PLAYER, PAGE B7

Rio games shine light on refugee crisis International Olympic Committee forms first ever Refugee Olympic Team to provide reminders of their struggles, symbol of hope

PABLO JUAREZ COMMENTARY

Despite the controversy surrounding the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics due to concerns over Zika and petty street crime, the quadrennial spectacle should be remembered as the most influential in recent history. It’s not because Usain Bolt successfully defended his 100-meter dash crown in convincing fashion or because Michael Phelps added more hardware to his collection — though both were incredible feats in their own right — but because of the games’ ability to breakdown stigmas and bring attention to those most removed from the spotlight. In March 2016, the International Olympic Committee decided it would choose between five to 10 refugees to compete in the Olympics. The Committee selected a total of 10 refugees across three sports to compete in Rio, forming the Refugee Olympic Team — the first of its kind. IOC President Thomas Bach said in an official Olympic press article that the team was composed in an effort to bring attention to the world refugee crisis. “These refugees have no home, no team, no flag, no national anthem,” he said. “(The team) will be a symbol of hope for all the refugees in our world, and will make the world better aware of the magnitude of this crisis. It is also a signal to the international community that refugees are our fellow human beings and are an enrichment to society.” The athletes on the team previously trained and competed under extreme condi-

tions in their country of origin. Many were forced to flee their war stricken homeland in hopes for a better quality of life. It’s important to understand the word “refugee” is merely an abstract word. When we hear it, rarely does it ever resonate long with us and soon enough we’re back to living in our own little bubbles. But when a face and a name are associated with it, we start to pay attention. When we begin to read the compelling stories behind these names, we finally begin to grasp what really matters. Regardless of one’s country of origin, skin pigment or dialect, we’re all humans. We all have talent, skills and an ability to become meaningful members of society. That’s why the Refugee Olympic Team and efforts of the sports world to bring peace cannot be understated. None of the refugee athletes even came close to medaling in their respective event. But that’s not what mattered. It didn’t stop us from cheering them on, nor did it stop us from sharing their stories. We learned how sports could be a great unifier and bridge the gap between stigmas and reality. Sports should be color blind, reminding us that these athletes’ stories of perseverance are applicable to all walks of life. What we can’t do is watch the Olympics end, forget about the momentous events we’ve seen unfold and continue to return to life like normal. For us, our lives remain relatively the same but for the Refugee Olympic Team and thousands of other refugees around the world, they continue to face hardships everyday as they try to acclimate to an unknown country. It is our job to be their advocates.

INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE NEWSROOM | COURTESY

Members of the Refugee Olympic Team visit the Christ the Redeemer statue in Brazil. The team competed in the Rio Summer Olympics held Aug. 5 - 21, representing the world’s refugee population and its hardships.

THE MERCURY | AUG. 22, 2016

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“I understood (my) role as a freshman, but at the same time I wasn’t satisfied with that role,” Petty said. “I didn’t want to accept the fact that freshmen sit the bench.” In her first season, Petty played in 15 games averaging four and a half minutes of action per game. But she said that her lesser role didn’t take away any of the satisfaction she felt from winning the conference title and reaching the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament. “I still felt I was a part of that because … my teammates had to practice against me,” she said. “Even though I wasn’t the lead role, the lead roles were better because they had to go against me.” Like every other player on the team, Petty attended team practices, hit the weight room and knew the team’s offensive and defensive schemes. Role-players go through the rigors of a basketball season like any other player. They give a boost off the bench and fill in for teammates without having the team miss

→ EQUESTRIAN

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don’t care about competition or anything like that,” she said. “You could have them at a show and they could be having a bad day for all you know. Our job as riders is to ride whatever horse we get that day — bad mood or not — and be ready to compete. Not to mention you’re dealing with your own stress.” Hoover currently owns two horses, the one she rides competitively and the first horse she ever bought when she learned to ride, which she now leases out to other beginning riders. Maintaining her horses requires a bit more work than a typical house pet. “It’s a bit of a commitment,” Hoover said. “I go out to the barn practically every single day. They need quite a bit of exercise. So we do all that fit-

SPORTS

a beat, as was the case with Petty, who saw an expanded role after two players on the team failed to meet academic standards and were unable to finish out the season. It wasn’t until her second year that Petty finally made her first collegiate start. She played in a total of 23 games, making two starts and logging 194 more minutes of game time than she did in her freshman season. She said there is a definite psychological difference between starting and coming off the bench. “In high school, I feel like (starting) definitely became a routine and it wasn’t such a big deal because I was so used to it, so I didn’t think anything of it,” Petty said. “My second year (of college) I got to start a couple games and it was definitely more nervewracking and scary. I was almost more comfortable coming off the bench than starting.” But accepting her role doesn’t mean she isn’t looking for ways to see the floor more. “We have team meetings about

(minutes) and (the coaching staff ) made it perfectly understood that every person on the team has a role and even if it’s not the star (role), you’re still needed for something else,” Petty said. “This year I had games where I’ve started and games where I sat. I actually did go and have a conversation with (Head coach Polly Thomason) and asked her, ‘What do I need to be doing to be playing?’” Petty said that certain players match-up best for certain situations, especially during close games in crunch time where defense is put at a premium. Being more offensive minded, Petty said she has made a concerted effort to be a more well rounded guard to be able to play and stay late in games. With two years of playing eligibility remaining, her goal remains being a prominent, consistent starting player for the team. “I’m hoping for two more conference championships between then too,” she said.

ness work and conditioning to get them ready for shows so they can compete to their best potential. They eat as much as they can. If we just gave them food (all day) they’d eat it, but (would) get sick.” However, she said the bond between a horse and his or her rider is inseparable. “Our relationship is incredibly close,” Hoover said. “Blackie knows his name and he knows my voice. So if I yell out his name, he’ll be like, ‘Oh, here she comes.’ It can be difficult to ride a horse that one person has ridden for a very long time. It’s hard to switch riders for particular horses.” Hoover said the horseback riding community shares a tight bond, in part because of the emotional highs and lows that a rider can experience. She recounted a particular time when her horse injured itself

in the pasture, forcing her to withdraw from a competition. She said it happens to everyone and it only brings everyone closer together. Since horseback riding takes a great deal of her time, Hoover said it can be hard to balance it with school. In the end she makes it work. “It’s just a time management test,” she said. “As long as you can manage your time you can do anything.” Hoover has set some goals for herself for the future, and shares how they keep her going in a sport that can take decades to truly “master.” “There’s another show in Florida this November at the international level, so I’m hoping to redeem myself from my initial one,” she said. “Long-term, I hope to move up another level. If I do that I would be so happy.”

THE MERCURY | AUG. 22, 2016

UPCOMING SPORTS EVENTS

MEN'S SOCCER vs. RICHLAND COLLEGE Final exhibition match of the season

August 23, 7 PM, UTD Soccer Field VOLLEYBALL VS. WILEY Volleyball kicks off their season with a home opener

September 2, 7 PM, Main Gym VOLLEYBALL VS. TEXAS LUTHERAN Volleyball takes on familiar foe Texas Lutheran

September 3, 3 PM, Main Gym WOMEN'S SOCCER VS. LA VERNE Women’s soccer clashes with La Verne in a non-ASC match-up

September 4, 1 PM, UTD Soccer Field

THE MERCURY | AUG. 22, 2016

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