January 27, 2014
facebook.com/theutdmercury | @utdmercury
SMOKE&MIRRORS Abbott & Davis demur as Perry endorses decriminalizing marijuana →
OPINION, PAGE 3
THE MERCURY | UTDMERCURY.COM
Comets reign
victorious
LIFE&ARTS
SPECIAL FEATURE
Come one, come all Student seeks to revolutionize Dallas art scene with gallery, residency for people balancing work, life and art
MARCELO YATES | STAFF
Senior forward Kyle Schleigh dunks a basket, leading the team with 18 points against Ozarks.
CHRISTOPHER WANG | PHOTO EDITOR
Men's basketball coasts against competition; undefeated in ASC PARTH SAMPAT Sports Editor
The men’s basketball team had a resounding week as they vanquished two of the conference’s bigwigs, which included the largest margin of victory over a NCAA D-III opponent in program history. The Comets (15-1 overall) are undefeated in ASC after demolishing national runnerups Mary Hardin-Baylor 70-58 on Jan. 16, dismantling defending ASC champions Concordia 95-49 on Jan. 18 and crushing Ozarks 84-63 on Jan. 20, as the first half of the regular season drew to a close. “Our team has done a great job of adapting to situations, both home and away,” head coach Terry Butterfield said. “They have shown a lot of character and a real desire to be prepared for each contest.” UTD conquered Mary Hardin-Baylor for the first time in six games, a losing streak that dates back to the 2009-10 season. UTD shot 47.9 percent from field goal range and 75 percent from the foul line against the Mary Hardin-Baylor. The Comets managed to keep a tight lid on the Crusaders for the entire game as the opponents shot just 35.2 percent from the floor. Butterfield expressed his satisfaction, as well as the seniors’, about the victory, which was a long time due. Junior point guard Nolan Harvey led the
→ SEE MBBALL, PAGE 8
LEFT AND ABOVE: VIVIANA CRUZ | STAFF
Clockwise from top left: Arts and performance senior Jonathan Foisset co-founded Two Bronze Doors, a gallery and artist residency in Dallas; Aesthetic studies graduate student and 2BD program director Christopher George looks over co-founder Natalie Vaughn and Foisset's work; Art pieces hang in the gallery of 2BD. Many of 2BD's artists juggle other careers and use the gallery as a creative outlet. VIVIANA CRUZ Mercury Staff
The art gallery Two Bronze Doors sits on a corner where a street lined with bars meets a street lined with 1920s bungalow architecture. The contrast of revelry with quiet family homes says everything about Two Bronze Doors’ philosophy — all are welcome to walk through these doors. Art and performance senior Jonathan Foisset is the gallery director and co-owner of Two Bronze Doors, or 2BD. Foisset’s fiancée and 2BD co-owner, Natalie Vaughan, founded the gallery and artists’ residency space in October 2012. Vaughan wanted to establish a site that addressed what Foisset termed “the art-
ist’s plight” — the typical hardships many artists go through just to be able to create art and the reality they face by not having the time to do it. “From what she saw that I had to go through just to make art, she wanted us to create something that would be beneficial to artists and provide an environment where we would grow off each other,” Foisset said. Foisset and Vaughan reside at Two Bronze Doors along with musician Nash Vaughan and visual artist Matt Brunner. They oversee the gallery downstairs and are always around to make sure workshops and other events run smoothly. Two Bronze Doors is an artists’ residency as well as a gallery; everyone who
resides there is creatively inclined and showcases at 2BD regularly. However, many of 2BD’s artists who are considered resident artists have other jobs and responsibilities. Vaughan said she wanted 2BD to be an inspiring resource not just for those who could fully commit to producing artwork on a daily basis but to anyone with the impulse to do so. “One of the tenets of 2BD is that we want to invite people to do their art in many forms. We feel we got here by putting faith in our artists,” Foisset said. “We want to fit residencies in people’s workday realities so that people have their day jobs, but they create something they want
→ SEE 2BD, PAGE 7
Materials science org focuses on outreach, education New research society to help interdisciplinary science program expand MIGUEL PEREZ Life & Arts Editor
CONNIE CHENG | STAFF
Materials science and engineering students and MRS officers Luis Delmar, Mônica Jung de Andrade and Erika Fuentes-Fernandez plan to focus on student engagement and education.
Eager to spread the word about her field of research, postdoctoral student Erika Fuentes-Fernandez has an anecdote ready for defining an often-overlooked field of science. “If you have a bowl and you put some math, physics, chemistry and electronics in it and you mix everything up, materials science will be the result,” Fuentes-Fernandez said. She is part of the materials science and engineering program, or MSE, and is the web officer for the new student chapter of the Materials Research Society. The UTD chapter of MRS became an official organization this month. The national society encourages discussion on the potential of materials research and hosts two symposiums a year for chapter members. Some prominent members of the national organization are UTD faculty. MSE professor Orlando Auciello is the society’s past president, and MSE department head Yves Chabal is the chair of the Member Engagement Committee. Chabal, who is also advisor for the student chapter, said
the officers want to focus on bringing students into the field to promote interest. “I’m really proud and amazed at how proactive our chapter is. They’re really thinking about outreach, and it’s going to be a fantastic operation to help bring in undergraduates,” Chabal said. “What this chapter has done is it’s already had more undergraduate students sign up than grad students.” Already, the chapter has 100 members signed up, Chabal said. MSE post-doctoral student and president of the chapter Mônica Jung de Andrade said the officers have been working hard planning events and programs to promote the chapter. “One thing we want to do is a panel for discussion among students,” de Andrade said. “(Students) will be able to interact among themselves and learn from each other.” De Andrade said the chapter is contributing to Engineers Week in February and offering recycling related programs during Earth Week. She said the chapter also plans to bring in industry professionals.
→ SEE MRS, PAGE 12
2
THE MERCURY | JAN. 27, 2014
News
Just the facts
Thought-provoking statistics from Christopher Wang
THE MERCURY UTDMERCURY.COM Volume XXXIV No. 2 Editor-in-Chief Lauren Featherstone editor@utdmercury.com (972) 883-2294
Managing Editor Sheila Dang managingeditor @utdmercury.com (972) 883-2287
Director of Sales and Promotions Nada Alasmi ads@utdmercury.com (972) 883-2210
Web Editor Anwesha Bhattacharjee
web@utdmercury.com
Photo Editor Christopher Wang photo@utdmercury.com
Graphics Editor Lina Moon
graphics@utdmercury.com
Life & Arts Editor Miguel Perez
features@utdmercury.com
Sports Editor Parth Sampat
sports@utdmercury.com
Media Adviser Chad Thomas
chadthomas@utdallas.edu (972) 883-2286
Ad Sales Representative Juveria Baig promotions @utdmercury.com (713) 298-0025
Staff Photographers Connie Cheng Parth Parikh Contributors Rahat Ahmed Zainah Asfoor Viviana Cruz Emily Grams Srayan Guhathakurta Ali Khanian Yanglin Lin Madison McCall Sarath Sunil Jeff Thekkekara Shyam Vendantam Marcelo Yates Mailing Address 800 West Campbell Road Mailstop SU 24 Richardson, TX 75080-0688 Newsroom Student Union, Student Media Suite SU 1.601 FIRST COPY FREE NEXT COPY 25 CENTS 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. Evidence of discrimination will be the basis of denial of advertising space. The publication of advertising in The Mercury does not constitute an endorsement of products or services by the newspaper, the UTD administration, the Board of Regents or the Student Media Operating Board. 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, which can be found at policy.utdallas.edu Copyright Š 2014, The University of Texas at Dallas. All articles, photographs and graphic assets, whether in print or online, may not be reproduced or republished in part or in whole without express written permission. Your student-run news publication asks you kindly to please recycle this issue once you are through with it.
short speeches and answer students’ questions. The Academic Affairs Committee hopes this to be an opNew TV screens will be installed portunity where students get to in the Student Services Building and know more about the faculty and be the Student Union in the next two able to connect with professors in a or three weeks, said Student Govern- meaningful way outside of the classment President Liza Liberman at the room, Lim said. Jan. 21 SG meeting. t (SBEVBUF BOE *OUFSOBUJPOBM "G These new screens will serve as fairs chair Adam Ma talked about another form of advertisement for the concerns many international school events. Organizations can students have regarding living and run ads with information pertaining working in the U.S. after graduatto their events, and students are also ing. He discussed the possibility of welcome to submit anything they hosting visa workshops to inform would like to be displayed, Liber- students of the post-college proceman said. The painting of Temoc in dures of becoming a resident. the Comet CafĂŠ will be covered to t -FHJTMBUJWF "GGBJST DIBJS 4JEE install screens on the wall. Sant updated the senate that “Know SG is working on hosting a stu- Your Rights Dayâ€? will now be from dent memorial in April to recognize 12-1:30 p.m. on Feb. 6 in the Galand honor those who have passed axy Rooms. The purpose of this away this past year. The event will event is to educate people on what be a ceremony banquet, and family to do in different situations involvand friends are invited to attend. ing the police. SG plans to host this every year and Sant also said the SG resident atLiberman said they hope to start tra- torney will be present at a booth in ditions to be included during these the Comet CafĂŠ on Feb.12 to answer ceremonies. any questions or concerns. The UTD mobile phone applit 3FTJEFOUJBM "GGBJST $IBJS ,BUJF cation senate has been pushing is Truesdale said the new Res Hall is moving forward. Technology chair finally caught up on schedule and Brooke Knudtson said senators will is set to open in fall 2014. She meet with the dean of students at also said that senators are working the end of this month to present the on getting markers and cookware proposal for a UTD app. The appli- for the Res Halls, and students cation will provide students with a who do not plan to live in the centralized and convenient way to same housing unit now have the access all the information regarding option to revise their applications UTD news, dining, transportation for housing without changing the and more without having to refer to time stamp. the UTD official website. t 7JDF 1SFTJEFOU $IBSMJF )BOOJ t "DBEFNJD "GGBJST DIBJS +PTFQI gan said SG is working on alleviatLim announced plans to begin ing detour confusion on the north school councils in each academic Mall by fixing existing signs and school that will consist of students putting up additional signs that from that school. The purpose of will help direct students to skywalks the school council is to foster school and pathways that can lead them in pride and host school-specific and out of buildings, such as Green events. Hall. t $PNFU $IBUT PS 1VC 5BMLT t 5IF OFYU 4( NFFUJOH XJMM CF BU will happen at 8 p.m on Feb. 26 in 5:15 p.m. on Feb. 4 in one of the The Pub where professors will give Galaxy Rooms ZAINAH ASFOOR Mercury Staff
The bottom half of the world’s population owns less than the richest 85 people in the world. —Oxfam, “Working for the Few: Political capture and inequality,� Jan. 20, 2014
UTDPD Blotter Jan. 14 t " TUVEFOU XBT BSSFTUFE GPS QPTTFTTJPO PG NBSJ juana and drug paraphernalia on Lookout Drive. A second student was issued a citation for possession of drug paraphernalia. t " TUBĂŞ NFNCFS SFQPSUFE B NJOPS BDDJEFOU JO parking Lot R at 6:11 p.m. t " TUVEFOU XBT JTTVFE B DJUBUJPO GPS QPTTFTTJPO of drug paraphernalia at Residence Hall South at 11:02 p.m. Jan. 15 t " QSPGFTTPS SFQPSUFE B CVSHMBSZ BU BCPVU B N in the Jonsson Building. An unknown person entered his office without consent and took a cellphone. Jan. 16 t "O VOBĂŻ MJBUFE QFSTPO XBT BSSFTUFE GPS ESJWJOH with an invalid license in Lot A at 6:14 a.m. Jan. 17 t "U Q N JO -PU + B TUVEFOU XBT BSSFTUFE GPS an outstanding warrant and a traffic violation. Jan. 18 t "U BCPVU B N PO $BNQCFMM 3PBE BO VOBG filiated person was arrested on suspicion of driving while intoxicated, driving while license invalid, speeding and other agency warrants. t " TUVEFOU XBT BSSFTUFE GPS ESJWJOH XJUI BO JO valid license and a traffic violation at about 11 a.m. on Loop Road. The student was later charged for possession of a controlled substance. Jan. 20 t "U BCPVU B N PO $BNQCFMM 3PBE BO VO affiliated person was arrested for possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia. t "U Q N PO 'MPZE 3PBE B VOBĂŻ MJBUFE NBMF was arrested for outstanding warrants from multiple jurisdictions. Jan. 22 t "U BCPVU Q N JO -PU ( B XJUOFTT PCTFSWFE B hit and run accident of an unattended vehicle.
LEGEND VEHICULAR INCIDENT THEFT DRUGS & ALCOHOL
The Mercury is a proud member of both the Associated Collegiate Press and the Texas Intercollegiate Press Association.
UTDMERCURY.COM
OTHER MAP: UTD COMMUNICATIONS | COURTESY
Jan. 21: At about 2 p.m. the UTD Procurement Office reported a fraudulent check had been submitted electronically. UTD did not authorize payment of the check preventing any monetary losses.
Jan. 16: A student reported criminal mischief to police around 4 p.m. in Lot I.
Jan. 22: Four unaffiliated males were reported skateboarding at about 4 p.m. in Lot J; two were arrested for criminal trespass and the other two were given criminal trespass warnings.
Jan. 15: A student reported an assault at 1:49 p.m. in the McDermott Library.
Jan. 13: The UTD bookstore reported a forged check at about 6 p.m.
OPINION
Gubernatorial candidates mum on marijuana issue
Seniors vs. seniors: the battle for jobs Job market hard on college grads, older workers ZAINAH ASFOOR COMMENTARY
LINA MOON | GRAPHICS EDITOR
An outspoken Perry forces the issue as decriminalization gains steam in U.S. SHEILA DANG COMMENTARY
Wendy Davis and Greg Abbott are keeping mum regarding their stances on marijuana policies as the primaries of what will be one of the most watched gubernatorial races looms closer. On Jan. 8, one day after the Dallas Morning News published an editorial in favor of medical marijuana and decriminalization, along with poll data indicating a majority of Texans favor regulating and taxing the substance, DMN writer Rodger Jones contacted both Davis’s and Abbott’s office, for the newspaper’s second attempt to learn each candidate’s stance to no avail. Perhaps marijuana is politically shaky ground, where politicians are hesitant to plant their feet on one side or the other. But for the two frontrunners for governor to not address an issue receiving considerable press coverage and inform voters of their stances, is irresponsible. Indeed, Davis, the Democratic state senator from Fort Worth, and Abbott, the Republican state attorney general, are not the only prominent Texas politicians who have avoided discussing weed for the entirety of their public service. Ted
Cruz seems to have no official stance according to his website, while ontheissues.org has no recorded public comments of Cruz addressing drug policy. To the surprise of many, retiring governor Rick Perry said during a
(F)or the two frontrunners for governor to not address an issue receiving considerable press coverage and inform voters of their stances, is irresponsible. — Sheila Dang World Economic Forum panel in Switzerland on Jan. 23 that he would work to soften criminal penalties for minor offenses, emphasize rehabilitation over incarceration and pave the way for Texas to decriminalize marijuana. Proponents of marijuana policy reform have twice attempted to work
3
JAN. 27, 2014 | THE MERCURY | UTDMERCURY.COM
modest versions of this idea through the Texas Legislature’s previous session in 2013: HB 184 would have reduced the penalties for possession of pot to a non-jailable offense for those under 21 with no prior convictions, while HB 594 would have given seriously ill patients a defense against possession charges by allowing them to demonstrate their use was for medical purposes. The House did not vote on HB 184 before the close of the session, and HB 594 was left pending and did not advance through the lege. Despite these unsuccessful attempts, it’s likely a new bill will be put forth when the lege reconvenes in 2015. Fifty-eight percent of Texans favor regulation and taxation of marijuana and only 38 percent oppose, according to Public Policy Polling. This decisive majority will hold considerable sway if and when a bill is introduced. The new governor cannot be unprepared. Voters are lacking important information about Davis and Abbott as the March primary elections loom around the corner. The War on Drugs, the crowding of state prisons and a huge amount of taxpayer money are at stake in this issue, regardless of where one may stand. Sooner rather than later, Davis and Abbott must answer the constituents they hope to win in November.
Does age matter in the job force? Do employers prefer hiring a certain age group? There is no doubt that finding a good job in today’s job market is difficult for everyone, but the market has been especially harsh on recent college graduates, ages 21 to 26, and people above the age of 55. According to a September 2013 Wall Street Journal article, the unemployment rate for Americans under the age of 25 was 15.6 percent last August — and that’s not taking into account those who left the labor force to return to college. Many who do have jobs are working part-time in jobs they are overqualified for, earning minimum wages. “I’m still working a full-time job at the doctor’s office that I worked at in college in addition to working parttime for a wedding coordinator… bills and loans need to be paid,” said Megan Berry, a 2012 UTD graduate. These young adults are finding it hard to pay bills, let alone start saving for retirement. By the time they graduate they are already heavily in debt: Thirty-four percent have student loans of $30,000, while 17 percent owe between $30,000 to $50,000, according to an April 2013 New York Daily News article. Though many are quick to complain, these young adults are just that — young. Many still don’t have families to support and can find some shelter under the wings of their parents while they work on kick-starting their careers. Taking a low-wage job or a part-time job is definitely not the dream most people have for themselves after successfully surviving college, but it is good to remember that these jobs will help build character and industry skills that will help land them better jobs. However, those who did save money have lost it in the recession, reports the
same WSJ article. An article that appeared in the New York Times last year states that Americans in their 50s and 60s who cannot yet receive Medicare and Social Security are the ones hit hardest by the recession: Their annual income has decreased, all while they are financially supporting their unemployed young-adult children and old parents. The unemployment rate for Americans 55 and older is far lower than that for recent college graduates, and it is much more difficult for people in this group to get a job after becoming unemployed. A Dallas Morning News article from last year reported that Americans who are above the age of 55 remained unemployed an average of 51 weeks, whereas people between the ages of 20 and 24 were able to find a job after an average of 27 weeks. The unfortunate thing is, while younger Americans can go back to college, a UT Arlington economics professor said in the New York Times article that “it just doesn’t make sense” for institutions to offer retraining people over the age of 55. He claims this is due to the discrimination these Americans face because of their age when applying for jobs. Most employers are choosing to hire young recent graduates instead of the older and more experienced people because they offer fresh perspectives and are already familiar with the mostrecent technologies. This is a rising concern among the older community, who are applying for extended unemployment benefits and Social Security at an earlier age, according to the New York Times article. Those who cannot access such benefits can fall into depression because they feel they can no longer compete with the other job seekers. In either case, both age groups have been hurt by the aftermaths of the financial crisis. Times are changing, and certain industries are downsizing while others are flourishing. Accepting a job outside one’s field has become the norm. One must learn to be flexible in terms of what jobs they are willing to accept in order to survive.
“What’s your favorite local spot off campus?” “I like to go to Main Event. I like laser tag and bowling. The mozzarella sticks are good.”
“Probably NorthPark Mall, we like going down there. I like that it’s more of the vibrant city life and less of the suburbs.”
“The Cinemark in Plano. Just to go check out new movies. I used to be a film student, and I love to watch films.”
Ameena Khawaja
Maria Venegas Interdisciplinary studies senior
Anthony Lopez Arts and performance freshman
“I’m a new international student, so I prefer ... becoming familiar with the whole Dallas area. The first place I went to was downtown for New Year’s Eve.” Ahmadreza Amin Information and technology management grad student
“I guess Starbucks. I usually drink coffee whenever I want to study. It’s sociable, you can talk and there’s always wi-fi.”
“I’m part of the group FOCUS and after meetings Friday nights, we all go to Braum’s” Shannon Borger Speech-language pathology and child learning development freshman
Chemistry sophomore
Maria Vasquez Electrical engineering freshman
4
News
THE MERCURY | JAN. 27, 2014
UTDMERCURY.COM
Housing expenses strain budgets
Incomes remain stagnant across DFW while rents continue to rise steadily, including on-campus housing and McCallum apartments SRAYAN GUHATHAKURTA Mercury Staff
Recent reports from Dallas Morning News suggest that over the last decade, the real estate market in North Texas has been subjected to inflation, although incomes have remained relatively flat. Real estate indices, which help track global property markets offering varying levels of liquidity and exposure, have seen a 10 percent increase in Dallas in the last five years. Matt Grief, the assistant vice president for student affairs, said rent increased four percent from 2011 to 2012 and two percent from 2012 to 2013 at University Village housing. “Rent increases at UT Dallas support the growth of on-
campus living options for our students,” he said. “University housing aims to bring all the apartments in the University Village community to the same high standard.” With limited on-campus housing many students stay in the residential areas along the 883-shuttle route. Suzanna Hill, who works at the McCallum Crossings office, which is a popular off-campus housing option for students, said she believes that the 10 to 15 percent annual increase in rent is justified. “Maintenance costs, labor costs and construction costs have risen, and in order to meet them the rents have gone up,” Hill said. “Demand for housing, however, has been on the higher side so we also have several new
apartments being built around Richardson and other neighboring areas.” Financial advisors from Washington Post stated in a recent article that one should try to keep the rent to under 33 percent of total monthly expenses. Electrical engineering graduate student Naveen Gundu said for him though, there is a growing gap between rental expenses and income. “Around 70 percent of my monthly expenses goes towards rent,” Gundu said. Recent reports from the job and career site Glassdoor showed that student workers thought their pay was inadequate for living expenses in the DFW metro area, and two years without raises meant salary fell relative to cost of living.
YANGLIN LIN | STAFF
Monthy rent for University Village housing went up two percent last year and three percent the year before, while rent for the popular McCallum Crossings apartments increases 10 to 15 percent annually.
Caught Reading
Correction: In the Jan. 13 edition of The Mercury, in the article titled “Program may improve brain health for veterans,” the name of the veteran’s office in McDermott Library was incorrectly stated. It is the Veteran Services Center. The Mercury regrets this error.
Admit it, owning up to our mistakes only makes us more likeable. facebook.com/theutdmercury
The Mercury Ashton Wuluvarana, telecommunications graduate student, was caught reading The Mercury. He will win a $20 gift card to Palio’s Pizza, a local pizza, pasta and salad restaurant. You can contact Palio’s at 972-234-4002. Thank you Palio’s Pizza!
UTDMERCURY.COM
Campus Life
THE MERCURY | JAN. 27, 2014
5
A Cool Start
THIS SERIES: CONNIE CHENG | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
THIS SERIES, The Comet Rink: On the first day of classes for the spring 2014 semester, the chess plaza was transformed into an ice skating rink of sorts. At noon on Jan. 13, students attempted to skate and enjoyed free hot chocolate.
THIS SERIES: SARATH SUNIL | STAFF
ABOVE: JEFF THEKKEKARA | STAFF
ABOVE/BELOW RIGHT, Rock Paper Scissors: On the evening of Jan. 16, students competed in the Auxiliary Gym in a tournament for a pair of gift cards to the University Bookstore.
SERIES LEFT: MARCELO YATES | STAFF
SERIES LEFT, Women’s and Men’s Basketball vs. Concordia: On the afternoon of Jan. 18, the Comets competed against Concordia in the Activity Center Main Gym. The women’s team beat their opponents with a score of 73-66. The men’s team defeated the reigning conference champions by a score of 95-49, totally dominating their opponent.
ABOVE: JEFF THEKKEKARA | STAFF
EXTREME ABOVE, Comedian and Magician Derek Hughes: In one of the highlights of “The Welcome Back” put on by the Student Union Activities Advisory Board (SUAAB), Hughes visited the Clark Center on the evening of Jan. 14. He appeared in the sitcom “Grown Ups,” the drama “CSI: NY,” the series “Angel” and the feature Adam Sandler film, “Mr. Deeds.”
6
JAN. 27, 2014 | THE MERCURY | UTDMERCURY.COM
LIFE&ARTS
Diverse N. Dallas community engages in social art project MIGUEL PEREZ Life & Arts Editor
The Plant Man welcomes a couple into his white cube as he points another group toward the pop-up market around the corner. The leafy sculptures inside his gallery are just one of four exhibits bringing public art to the diverse community living in Vickery Meadow. Also known as Jonathan Harris, the Plant Man is one of the artists displaying his work publicly along Ridgecrest Road as part of “Trans.lation,” an art project meant to support the creative talent of Vickery Meadow’s residents. Vickery Meadow is a densely populated area in the center of North Dallas roughly located between Route 75 and Walnut Hill Lane. It’s also home to a significant immigrant population. “’Trans.lation’ is really helping the underprivileged, regardless of nationality,” Harris said. “(The artists) are helping the immigrant community, teaching people art skills like painting and jewelry.” Initiated by the Nasher Sculpture Center for the Nasher Xchange, “Trans. lation” is headed by Houston-based artist Rick Lowe. The project includes three white cube galleries with work from local artists Sarah Jay, Scott Lumley and Harris. The second component of the project is the monthly pop-up market that started Oct. 19. Located outside of an apartment complex, it’s where residents can come to buy and sell crafts, share food and listen to live music. Lowe is no stranger to creating boundary-pushing projects that fuse art and social activism. He spearheaded Project Row Houses, a whole group of houses in Houston’s Third Ward occupied by local African-American artists, to celebrate black culture and art. Greg Metz, a senior lecturer in the arts and performance program at UTD, also collaborated with Lowe and the team to execute “Trans.lation.” Metz said Vickery Meadow is highly prized real estate for developers, and that the significant amount of refugees and immigrants are key to keeping the neighborhood alive.
MIGUEL PEREZ | LIFE & ARTS EDITOR
TOP: Children beat drums for the crowd at the pop-up market in the Vickery Meadow neighborhood. ABOVE RIGHT: Also known as the Plant Man, Jonathan Harris displays mobile art installations made of plants. ABOVE LEFT: “Trans.lation” is a project commisioned by the Nasher Sculpture Center and includes three 12-by-12 foot white cubes housing local art.
“The challenge is to figure out how to get these diverse pockets of immigrants and languages to pull together,” Metz said. “It’s about creating an identity for the area so that when developers come in, they don’t just buy this up and run all the residents out.” Metz said the decision to organize a pop-up market came from the idea that many cultures use the marketplace as a
way to trade and gather. The idea is to make the market sustainable, Metz said. With enough community interest, the residents of Vickery Meadow would maintain the project themselves. Lowe agreed and said the neighborhood was an obvious choice for the project. “In West Dallas, there were the typi-
cal kinds of issues around gentrification and (that neighborhood) is rooted in the traditional African-American and Latino dynamic. I understand that,” he said. “But when I came to Vickery Meadow, it was a similar scenario with a whole other layer: the immigrants, the residential space, the diversity. All of that stuff became really interesting to me.”
Lowe said Vickery Meadow is something of a microcosm representing the U.S. in the years to come; the shift from a white majority to a truly multicultural population is apparent in this neighborhood. Project manager Sara Mokuria, who also works as a senior research associate with the Institute of Urban Policy Research at UTD, said the diversity within Vickery Meadow is one of the things that has made her work with “Trans.lation” special. “The neighborhood has over 35,000 people, many of whom are refugees,” Mokuria said. “The idea of the project was to look at it as an asset model. What are the assets that exist within the neighborhood, and how can we highlight them to help create social change?” She said her experience with one of the residents who participates in the market has made the experience worthwhile. A refugee of the Iraq War, Um Qutaibah makes beautiful paper flower arrangements to sell. “To see her create them and then to see the pride when people buy them,” Mokuria said. “These have value, your aesthetic is important, you’re important. It’s been beautiful to see that.” Mokuria said one of the main challenges for “Trans.lation” is emphasizing the talent within the neighborhood to draw in outsiders, hoping the project will be an “economic driver” for both parties. “Trans.lation” has ongoing weekly workshops in the neighborhood that are drop-in and free. Mokuria said residents learn how to make crafts, paint and sew so they can contribute to the pop-up markets. Lowe not only attends the markets, but also engages attendees and works with the local vendors to create a unique cultural experience. “There’s no definite time to end,” Lowe said. “I’m enjoying the work, and as long as there are things to do here, I’ll stay. When I can come back and just visit as a visitor, then it’s time.” “Trans.lation” is located at 6321 Ridgecrest Road, a 20-minute drive from campus. The next pop-up market is scheduled for Feb. 22.
Mormon group joins campus Vintage animation
only highlight of disappointing film
CONNIE CHENG | STAFF
Kathleen Francis, David Johnston and David Pruitt co-founded the Latter-day Saint Student Association in fall 2013. In addition to service projects, LDSSA aims to support Mormon students and holds weekly scripture study sessions.
Latter-day Saint Student Association at UTD focuses on community service NADA ALASMI Mercury Staff
Muddling through unanswered questions about faith, David Johnston all but lost his religion. Then, a few months after moving to UTD, his friends’ conversations caught his attention. “My Mormon friends would mention things that were at odds with my preconceptions about those crazy Mormons out in Salt Lake,” he said. “When I started looking into it, I found that the problems I had with my previous faith had sort of all been fixed.” Once a Catholic, Johnston converted to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or LDS, com-
monly known as Mormonism. A few months later, in fall 2013, he co-founded the Latter-day Saint Student Association, or LDSSA at UTD. Johnston said he created the group to support LDS students and provide weekly scripture study sessions. LDSSA also aims to serve the community. Its members help operate JustServe.org, a website where anyone can help fill volunteer needs in local community organizations. Though still in the planning stages, organization members also hope to host UTD-related volunteer activities, such as volunteering at the Comet Cupboard or planting flowers around campus. “The goal of Christ was to serve
others, and we want to do that, too,” Johnston said. Service is such an essential part of the LDS Church that many members choose to spend two years on a church-organized mission trip, said David Pruitt, neuroscience doctoral student, club co-founder and president. Pruitt served his mission in Italy, where he volunteered and taught religion for two years. Johnston has applied to serve on a mission and is waiting to find out where he will serve. “It’s not about taking a two-year vacation in Tahiti and calling it a mission,” Johnston said. “It’s very
→ SEE LDSSA, PAGE 7
REDROVER CO., LTD./TOONBOX ENTERTAINMENT | COURTESY
“The Nut Job” features Buddy the sidekick rat (Robert Tinkler) and Andie (Katherine Heigl) the squirrel as stale characters. The film is a feature-length adaptation of director Peter Lepeniotis’ 2005 animated short, “Surly Squirrel.”
SHYAM VEDANTAM COMMENTARY
January has historically been a dumping ground for films. Movies with Oscar buzz are released in December so they are fresh in the minds of the voting members of the Academy. While these Oscar potentials stay in the lexicon of film discussion during the awards circuit, studios tend to release what they think will be less successful movies into the market, to be hidden under the rug while no one is looking. Unfortunately, “The Nut Job” is no exception. At 85 minutes, “The Nut Job” is a feature-
length take on director Peter Lepeniotis’ 2005 animated short, “Surly Squirrel.” Set in a late 1950s autumn in fictional Oakton City, a shortage of nuts is worrying a park’s animal community. Raccoon (Liam Neeson) dispatches two squirrels, a sympathetic Andie (Katherine Heigl) and a vain Grayson (Brendan Fraser), to acquire some nuts from a nut vendor cart in the park. They are beat to the cart by a rogue squirrel named Surly (Will Arnet) and his mute accomplice rat named Buddy, who is animated in too similar a vein as the protagonist of “Ratatouille” to be a coincidence. Unfortunately, the attempted theft goes awry and in an unfortunate series of events, destroys what
→ SEE NUTJOB, PAGE 7
UTDMERCURY.COM
LIFE&ARTS
THE MERCURY | JAN. 27, 2014
January: time for fresh start
Student Wellness Center offers tips to achieve popular New Year’s resolutions of getting healthy MADISON MCCALL Mercury Staff
The beginning of a new year represents a fresh start for people looking to kick bad habits to the curb. An estimated 45 percent of Americans make New Year’s resolutions each year, according to research published by the University of Scranton. Some of the most popular resolutions include losing weight, exercising more and quitting smoking. “Getting fit and forming better nutrition habits would be number one (for New Year’s Resolutions),” said Amanda Smith, director of Student Wellness Center. “Many students make the decision to quit smoking and make healthier decisions regarding alcohol use.” Gym memberships often peak in the first quarter with January bringing in the most new members, according to U.S. News. “We typically promote our services more this time of year as we know this is the time students are most committed to making healthy changes in their lives,” Smith said. “We typically get the greatest number of students between the beginning of the spring semester until about mid-March.” Despite the increase in gym
membership and large percentage of New Year’s resolutions, Scranton’s research reports that only eight percent of individuals achieve their resolutions. After one month, 64 percent of individuals keep up with their resolutions, and that number drops to 46 percent after six months. Some tips for achieving resolutions include planning ahead, setting realistic goals and perseverance. Establishing a plan for achieving a goal helps to eliminate any uncertainty in the completion of that goal. “Planning ahead and scheduling out my days help me to stick to my resolutions,” said Maelene Tacata, a sophomore software engineering student. “I schedule out what I am going to eat and when I am going to work out.” Having realistic expectations of what can be achieved can prevent disappointment from prematurely settling in. “Set small attainable goals. If you backtrack a little or fall off the wagon, don’t give up,” Smith said. “Start again right away. Don’t change your lifestyle to any extreme. Instead, strive for a healthy life balance.”
ALI KHANIAN | STAFF
→ LDSSA
→ 2BD
much you go where the Lord needs you.” Whether through the show “Big Love,” the Broadway musical “Book of Mormon” or Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign, Mormonism has often been in the spotlight but not always favorably. Kathleen Francis, healthcare studies senior, club co-founder and treasurer, hopes LDSSA can help reduce misconceptions about her faith. Francis said misunderstandings about her faith can be cleared up through simple conversations. For example, polygamy, which Mormonism is often associated with, is no longer an accepted practice by the LDS Church. “There are a lot of people who believe that we don’t believe in Christ, and that is when we say we are the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,” she said. In addition, Francis hopes fellow students can see Mormons as simple people who hold onto values such as service, family and friendship. “I have a certain set of beliefs that I try to follow, (but) I’m just a UTD student, no different than anyone else,” she said. “I try to be the best person that I can and to be loving to everyone.” Students interested in learning more about LDSSA can join their meetings Tuesdays at 11:30 a.m. in the Gemini Room.
here.” 2BD recently held a mixology workshop taught by Dallas bartender Frank Herrera. Foisset said Herrera wanted to give back to the community by showing others how to make a great drink, and 2BD provided an outlet for that. Aesthetic studies graduate student and 2BD program director Christopher George emphasized the importance of community. “This is an art community. You know, it’s not just people putting art on walls; it’s people being invited in. We're a gallery, but I think one of our biggest goals from the outset was to create a community in Dallas,” he said. “We've come a long way just concentrating on community and art being at the center of that.” VIVIANA CRUZ | STAFF Foisset said he feels that galleries like 2BD will become more Aesthetic studies graduate student and Two Bronze Doors program director Christopher George teaches writing workshops on common. Sundays and has poetry readings at the artist residency house. “There is a multitude of artists who have degrees, who know how to create and who can teach, and ferent concentrations at different series of writing workshops on there's just not enough outlets for galleries. Some galleries want sell- Sundays and has poetry readings. William Serradet, a resident artthem,” he said. “So what is hap- able art. Sellable art is not necespening, especially here in Dallas, sarily the best art,” George said. ist in video curation, is also a muDIY places are popping up and “I’ve seen art at galleries — good sical performer under the name showing work, quality work that galleries — and it is just not very Half-Asexual. He does a monthly you don't see at Holly Johnson or good. It's not very evocative; it's show called Viral Fantasy where he presents YouTube videos that The Contemporary or the MAC. not very intriguing.” The kind of art at 2BD can be are interesting or weird. Josh WesThere's just not enough room.” George offered another reason described as relevant, not neces- terman, another resident artist, is as to why homegrown galleries sarily commercial. Aside from a classically trained string musithe mixology workshops, George, cian who performs at 2BD and will start taking off. “The thing is people have dif- who is a resident artist, teaches a hosts a monthly curated musical
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
7
→ NUTJOB
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6
little reserves of food the park has. Surly is banished to the inner city, but he soon stumbles upon a nut shop in the human world. This introduces the parallel storyline of a group of inept thugs who are using the store as a front to rob a bank across the street. “The Nut Job” is a frenetic and unfocused film. The 1950s era character designs, costuming and style to the city are in direct contrast to the use of modern pop songs. It’s a dichotomy that doesn’t work. Inconsistencies with what the animals’ knowledge about the human world plague the script by Lepeniotis and co-writer Lorne Cameron. The script leaves much to be desired, as side characters are blandly one-note. Even the protagonist is decidedly unlikeable throughout the film but gets a half-hearted and underdeveloped arc. The voice acting isn’t commendable either. Arnet, though unaided by the lackluster script, doesn’t imbue Surly with empathy or humanity to make him interesting. It’s really Maya Rudolph as the thugs’ pug who does some noteworthy voice work. The only saving grace to this film is the praiseworthy animation and artwork. It’s vintage and delightful. The animation style is reminiscent of the videogame “Team Fortress 2” using bright colors and simplified shapes to populate its world. The animation is markedly different than most animation today. It is refreshing to see a new take on the way animated films are designed. The 3D is a waste though; it is used once in a very heavy-handed fashion but is otherwise absent. The “Surly Squirrel” was unnecessarily expanded and bloated to form “The Nut Job.” The story lacks interesting characters, development or any humor. Sure, this film will be able to keep a child’s attention for its short run time, but it won’t be a memorable experience for them. Those looking for an imaginative, wholesome and praise-worthy animated film should look toward Disney’s “Frozen,” which succeeds at what this film flounders at. That film is a front-runner to earn the Academy Award for Best Animated Film, while no one will remember “The Nut Job” in a month. “The Nut Job” is nicely animated but falls flat with overly simplistic characters and story combined with poor toilet-bowl humor. 3/10
event called Ghostwood sessions. “Taking in artists that are budding and developing their art is one of our primary goals,” Foisset said.” “Because we have patience, we have time for that. Art deserves to be created.” Both Foisset and George said that attending UTD has allowed them to develop concepts to carry out at 2BD. “I’m a creative writing student, and I don’t just write stories and go into class and talk about those stories. I come (to 2BD), and I read stories and I teach classes. I love school because you’re always getting a new perspective from a teacher who sees things differently and has a different approach,” George said. “I can learn something really academic at UTD and then take it here and try to make it practical, and then I learn something practical at 2BD and I can take it to UTD and make it academic.” Although not affiliated with UTD, Foisset and George hope to one day be involved with the university or another academic institution. “We do things a little differently from CentralTrak; we don’t focus so much on the academic,” George said. “But if UTD wants another gallery space to work out of, we are open to that.” George taught a workshop on flash fiction, extremely condensed pieces of narrative, on Jan. 12. An eclectic mix of people were present, ready to learn about how to
write more with less words. Conversation was rarely stilted. A local neighborhood historian stopped by and everything from the previous occupants to the supposed ghosts that haunt the premises was discussed. Darcy Neal, a Dallas visual artist and former resident of the house had suspicions about the house being haunted and decided to call in paranormal investigation group Cold Facts Paranormal to do a study of the house. “They said there were six ghosts present,” Foisset said. “Probably because of the psychic who used to live here.” The pieces produced during the workshop revolved around a randomly chosen theme. The first theme, ice, seemed to evoke the participant’s thoughts on relationships. Each piece was different but eventually tied back to the dynamics between people. Funny, chilling, beautiful and earnest are apt descriptors of the works written that night. At the end of the workshop, Vaughan explained the significance of the name Two Bronze Doors. “It has to do with (Italian Renaissance artist) Brunelleschi and the Florence Baptistery doors,” Vaughan said. “There was an open call for submissions to decide which artist would be commissioned for the doors. This competition sparked the Renaissance, and that is what I want to do in Dallas: start a renaissance here.”
CLASSIFIEDS To place a classified advertisement for the next issue, ad copy accompanied by payment must be received the Wednesday before publication. Classified rates are $10 for the first 30 words and $5 for each additional 10 words. ADVANCE PAYMENT IS REQUIRED FOR PLACEMENT. Call, fax or come by SU 1.601 or mail ad and check to The Mercury, Attn: Nada Alasmi, 800 W. Campbell Rd., SU24, Richardson, Texas 75080. We also accept credit card payment. Contact us for more information. Call 972-883-2210 — Email ads@utdmercury.com
Job Opportunity Seeking friendly and creative student to assist engineering professor’s spouse with caring for two young grandchildren on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons from 3-6:30 pm. Student will primarily serve as a companion to an inquisitive 5-year old who loves legos and make believe play, but will occasionally assist grandmother with caring for 18 month old toddler. Must have reliable transportation. Contact Maureen Milligan at maureen. milligan@gmail.com for further information.
78
JAN. 27, 2014 | THE MERCURY | UTDMERCURY.COM
SPORTS
Comets close to clinching No. 1 spot
Women’s basketball record first home loss against Mary Hardin-Baylor; close in on conference leaders with three wins on home turf PARTH SAMPAT Sports Editor
The women’s basketball team was derailed from its five-game winning streak after losing a 10-point half time lead against Mary Hardin-Baylor before returning to their winning ways with three consecutive wins. The Comets (13-2 overall) let a 3424 half time lead slip away as they lost 71-68 against Mary Hardin-Baylor on Jan. 16, but quickly secured a close 73-66 win over Concordia on Jan. 18, destroyed Ozarks 72-56 on Jan. 20 and out scored them 80-47 again on Jan. 23. The game against Mary HardinBaylor was a game of two halves. UTD was dominant in the first half, shooting 50 percent from the floor and 8-of-8 from the free throw line. But, the Crusaders came back strong in the second half as they slowly chipped at the Comets’ lead and restricted UTD to shooting a miserable 29.6 percent from the floor. Junior guard Amber Brown and junior guard Christina Brosnahan led the Comets with 13 points each and senior forward Morgan Kilgore scored
10 points. The team’s low shooting percent continued against Concordia as they shot a meager 36 percent in the first half. Despite the low shooting percent, UTD managed to secure a ninepoint lead at half time. Both teams stepped up their game in the second half with the Tornados shooting more points than the Comets, but the Comets rode to victory on their first-half lead. The team again had three players in double digits with Kilgore leading the pack, shooting 50 percent from the floor and scoring 15 points. Junior guard Madi Hess and junior guard Jo’Anna Davis scored 14 points each. The shooting woes persisted as the Comets shot 37.5 percent from the floor in the first half against the Eagles. But, they managed to hold an eight-point lead over their opponents. UTD played a strong second half to hold Ozarks to shooting 30 percent. The Comets shot 7-of-7 from the foul line in the second half. UTD out rebounded the Eagles 45-33 at the end
→ SEE WBBALL, PAGE 9
MARCELO YATES | STAFF
The team lost its five-game winning streak to Mary Hardin-Baylor, but bounced back to defeat Concordia and Ozarks. The Comets, statistically the best defense in the conference, restricted Ozarks to shooting just 29.5 percent from the floor.
Underdog role where Comets best
→ MBBALL
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
Comets with 22 points, shooting 7-of12 field goals, 3-of-7 from the threepoint line and 5-of-5 from the foul line. Harvey secured a season high of six rebounds and seven assists. “Harvey has the potential to be an all-conference player,” Butterfield said. “It’s been great to see him really leading us in some of our most recent games, and he is certainly capable of doing that on any given night.” UTD made light of defending champions Concordia as the Comets had six players scoring in double digits. “I think it was one of those perfect storms, in that I think that we were ready to go and prepared to win,” Butterfield said. “It’s always harder to win on the road, and I think Concordia wasn’t as sharp as they might be (usually).” Senior forward Dmitriy Chernikov led the team with 22 points. The 6-foot-6-inch forward scored 9-of-18 from the field goal range, 2-of-5 from the three-point line, 2-of-4 from the free throw line and he secured nine rebounds. “It was nice to have a good game,” Chernikov said. “But, we know that any one of the starting five, even coming off the bench, can have a good game.” The Comets, statistically the best defensive team in the conference, are becoming an offensive powerhouse as well as they shot 57.1 percent from the floor against Ozarks. The team shot better than 50 percent for the fourth time in five games. The Comets outrebounded the Eagles, 40-21. Senior forward Kyle Schleigh led the team with 18 points, shooting 60 percent en route to recording his sixth double-double of the season as he finished the game with 10 rebounds. The Comets shot a season high of 59.3 percent on their way to a booming 97-76 victory over Ozarks on Jan. 23. Harvey scored a career best of 27 points, shooting 7-of-10 from field goal and 12-of-14 from the foul line. Junior guard Matthew Medell and Chernikov scored 18 and 17 points, respectively. The Comets just managed to edge through UT Tyler with a score of 7672. UTD trailed at half time for the first time this season. A change in strategy from man-to-man defense to zone defense was the key to the Comets’ comeback. Schleigh led the team with 19 points, shooting 50 percent from the floor and added 7 rebounds. Senior forward Carter Nash scored 16 points, followed by Medell and Chernikov who scored 14 and 13, respectively. UTD will face Hardin-Simmons on Jan. 27, Sul Ross State on Jan. 30 and Howard Payne on Feb. 1 at home.
As playoffs loom, teams need to be wary PARTH SAMPAT COMMENTARY
MARCELO YATES | STAFF
Senior forward Dmitriy Chernikov shoots a free throw against Concordia on Jan. 18. Chernikov was instrumental in defeating Concordia, scoring a career-tying high of 22 points.
The men’s basketball team is undefeated and with 12-0 in ASC play seems poised to hoist the ASC championship trophy. But, the team may be in the worst possible position if history has anything to say about it. With five home games out of the final nine games, UTD seems to be in a good position to top the league. Except, the Comets have a tendency of performing better as underdogs than as favorites, and at least five examples come to mind: t 2012-13: The men’s basketball team was crowned ASC East Champs, but lost to Concordia-Texas in the semifinals of the ASC championship tournament. t 2011-12: The team was crowned ASC East Champs, but lost to Hardin-Simmons 63-64 in the semi-finals. t 2004-05: The team barely managed to secure the last playoff position and had a record of 10-12 in the ASC, but won the championship tournament. The women’s basketball team seems to face a similar problem.
LINA MOON | GRAPHICS EDITOR
t 2012-13: The women’s basketball team had a horrid midseason when they lost six games consecutively on the road, but won the tournament when they defeated nationally ranked Louisiana College. t 2008-09: The women’s basketball team was crowned ASC East Champs for the first time in program history, was nationally ranked, but lost in the quarter-finals to Mary Hardin-Baylor, a team they had defeated earlier in the season.
This year might alter the trend because there is a distinct chemistry and personality with each new set of players and every team, each year, is different. The Comets have taken home the trophy as both the underdog and the favorite. But, it really boils down to preparation for every single contest, one at a time. “It’s very difficult physically and mentally for guys to be ready to play 25 times, to be at the very top of your game 25 times,” head coach Terry Butterfield said. “If you look at any sport, even football, where there are not a lot of games played, no team comes out firing all cylinders every game.” Butterfield said he hoped his team had learned from past experiences and believes the team has done its due diligence when it came to preparing for each game. “So far our consistency for preparation and being ready to play has been really good. Last year, we had a couple of really bad letdowns during the season,” Butterfield said. “And probably the letdowns we had kept us out of the NCAA tournament and I am hoping our guys remember that — our seniors particularly — and are not willing to see that happen.” Preparation is 75 percent of the work, and with great preparation comes brilliant execution. Saturday’s game against UT Tyler is a great example of the team’s preparation as they switched from man-to-man to zone defense in midst of a game. The switch was only succesful because the Comets did their groundwork. It would be a lot to expect the Comets to stay undefeated through the rest of regular season. But, if the team continues to demonstrate its current work ethic, this year could definitely be different than what history suggests.
THE MERCURY | JAN. 27, 2014
SPORTS
UTDMERCURY.COM
9
Seahawks the team to beat in Super Bowl SPECIAL STUDENT MEDIA SPORTS COMMENTARY BY: JATIN JULAKANTI | AMP, ERIC MARTINEZ | RADIO UTD AND PARTH SAMPAT | THE MERCURY PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY: CC BY-SA JEFFERY BEALL | FLICKR AND CHRIS WANG | PHOTO EDITOR
Nobody likes to bet against Peyton Manning when he makes the scoreboard look like a basketball game, but conditions just aren’t favorable at MetLife. He is 4-7 when the weather is below 32 Fahrenheit while the Seahawks are built to play through blizzards. The No. 1 ranked defense in the NFL will
make it difficult for the Broncos to establish a strong passing game. On the other side of the ball, Russell Wilson is the most efficient QB under center and will have the powerful running of Marshawn Lynch to shoulder the load. My money is on the Seattle Seahawks. – Jatin Julakanti, Editor, AMP
This year’s Super Bowl will be a matchup between the Seattle Seahawks, the regular season’s top-ranked defense, against the Denver Broncos, the regular season’s top-ranked offense. The Seahawks’ defense played a huge role in my Student Union fantasy football league record of 14 consecutive wins. So, on
this Super Bowl Sunday, look for the dominating Seahawks defense to make a critical stop on Manning and the Broncos, capturing their franchise’s first Super Bowl title and welcoming quarterback Russell Wilson to official elite status in the NFL. – Eric Martinez, Music Director, Radio UTD
Peyton Manning has been on a hot roll this year, but the best defense in the nation will definitely have something to say about it. The defense will look to shut down Manning’s passing play by rushing him. The Seahawks have the perfect blend of finesse in QB Russell Wilson and
raw power in defense, which definitely makes for a deadly combination. In Marshawn Lynch, Seattle has the perfect complement to Wilson and the runner will pose serious problems for the Broncos. The Seahawks have something to prove. – Parth Sampat, Sports Editor, The Mercury
→ WBBALL
— In Brief —
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8
of the night. Davis scored a season high of 20 points and added seven rebounds. Kilgore shot 7-of9 from the floor and scored 15 points. Kilgore has scored in double digits in all 14 games and averages 18.1 points per game. In spite of dismal shooting throughout the game, the Comets managed to outscore the Ozarks in their second meeting in three days. The team managed to shoot just 38.6 percent from the floor, but they shot 50 percent from the three-point line and 87.5 percent from the free throw line. Davis scored a career high of 23 points, with 8-of-16 from the field goal range and 7-of10 treys. UTD had Brosnahan and Kilgore scoring 12 and 10 points, respectively. UTD narrowly lost to UT Tyler 62-57 on Jan. 25. The Comets play the next three games on home court and will face Hardin-Simmons on Jan. 27, Sul Ross State on Jan. 30 and Howard Payne on Feb. 1.
Trainers earn high honors from ASC UTD’s athletic training staff received the American Southwest Conference Athletic Training Staff of the Year Award for the 2012-13 academic year. This year, UTD’s athletic trainers share the title with the University of the Ozarks and bring home their fourth award of its kind since 2004-05, holding more training staff awards than any other college in their league. Head Athletic Trainer Tom Monagan has led the staff and
worked as the associate athletic director for student services for the past four years. Assistant Athletic Trainers Kurt Kammerer and Yukari Miyagi have also provided medical care to the Comets, respectively, for eight and four years. Each year, the award is given by the conference to the athletic trainers who receive the highest number of votes from their fellow training staff members in the league. —Lauren Featherstone
Sports writers and photographers are invited to join our award-winning staff. No experience necessary, but hustle is always a plus. sports@utdmercury.com LINA MOON | GRAPHICS EDITOR
10
THE MERCURY | JAN. 27, 2014
Advertisement
UTDMERCURY.COM
COMICS&GAMES
JAN. 27, 2014 | THE MERCURY
11 7
Clickbait
New Quest
Leaf
by Rahat Ahmed
by Emily Grams
SUDOKUS 5
2 5
2
1
4
3 8
8 1
7
5
9
2
4
6 3 4
2
6 7
8 2
9
9
7
4
6
8
2
1
1
8
5
5
9
6
9
8
1
5
4 3
3
8
9 2
7 3
2 7
1
5 7
6
5 4
2
9
6
8
by Lina Moon
12
THE MERCURY | JAN. 27, 2014
News
UTDMERCURY.COM
Programming basics for kids More than 200 children come to UTD for computer science workshop on MLK Day ANWESHA BHATTACHARJEE Web Editor
The Computer Science Outreach Program at UTD has expanded from a small program that trained high school students for programming contests two years ago to a community outreach program, pulling in more than 200 children to its MLK Day workshop on Jan. 20. The program is now open for children right from elementary school all the way up to high school students, and the workshops teach different kinds of programming languages and tools to make it easy for everyone to code, said Jey Veerasamy, director of the CS Outreach Program in the Department of Computer Science. Younger kids start with Scratch, an interactive 2D animation tool, moving onto Alice, a 3D animation tool, Javascript and finally the universal C, C++ and Java languages, he said. The program started out as a workshop to recruit students for UTD’s team to the ACM International Collegiate Programming Contest, but Veerasamy said he realized that the average student cannot participate in a global contest unless they take smaller steps to build up their programming proficiency. The MLK Day workshop was free of cost, though usually the registration fee for a workshop is $20 a day and $200 for a weeklong summer camp, Veerasamy said. However, UTD families are offered a 50 percent discount on the workshops, while lowincome families are eligible for 75 percent discounts and school teachers receive a 90 percent discount, he said. As a result, many families
send their children to these workshops, both for the weekend sessions and the summer camps. “I think it’s a good opportunity for (the kids) to get interested in something positive and keep striving toward higher education,” said Guadalupe Espiritu, a mother of 10, who sent six of her children to the MLK Day workshops. Espiritu found out about the program when her son, who studies at Emory College, called Richland College to see if there
interested in learning programming — despite only getting to play games on their school computers — so this is an easy and fun way for them to learn, Espiritu said. “I haven’t done (anything like this before) but it was really easy, because you go to the website and it shows the directions for what to make and shows the commands and it shows the pictures the commands will make,” said 10-year-old Daniel. “But then there’s another website and you click on it, and it
KATHY PAULK | COMPUTER SCIENCE OUTREACH, UTD
UTD graduate students volunteer to teach young students through the Computer Science Outreach Program. The children start with Scratch, a 2D animation tool, and can advance to other languages.
were any possible workshops for the older kids in the family. They were then able to connect with Veerasamy and two of Espiritu’s children, Samuel and Daniel, attended the Logo sessions during the winter break. Both children enjoyed the experience, so for MLK Day, Espiritu registered all her kids who were old enough to attend the programming sessions. Both Espiritu and her husband, Hugo, are non-technical people, but the children are
opens the Logo Interpreter and that’s what you use to draw.” With an instructor assigned to a class of 20, there is time for students to be able to voice their concerns and better interact with the class, Veerasamy said. The program uses a pool of 30 to 50 graduate students who volunteer to teach, and the students also develop their presentation skills through these workshops. The purpose of this program
is to be able to make programming appealing to children with varied interests, from art to robotics, and not just restrict programming to those who want to be coders, Veerasamy said. In addition, the program is working toward bringing more girls into STEM fields, and tapping into their enthusiasm at a young age, before peer pressure and fear make them shy away from STEM majors, he said. While there were 13 different camps last summer, the program is planning to expand to 77 camps this year, of which 12 are planned at learning centers in Allen, Plano, Coppell and Carrollton, among others. The program is also trying to collaborate with different school districts in the metroplex and runs after-school workshops at the Harmony School of Business in Dallas and also at the Harmony Science Academy in Garland. For the first time on MLK Day, the workshops had three sponsors for a single event — ThoughtWorks, Ventura Custom Homes and eShipGlobal. The sponsor from Ventura Custom Homes had a child attend summer camp last year and this time hosted a workshop at her home in Highland Park on MLK Day with a few children from the neighborhood in attendance, Veerasamy said. While there are clubs for regular attendees every weekend already, moving forward, the program is aiming to work with universities in other cities to create local networks of outreach for STEM education, Veerasamy said. “As a public university, I feel that we should do some public good,” he said. For more information on upcoming events, please visit http://www.utdallas.edu/k12/
CONNIE CHENG | STAFF
Outreach officer for the UTD chapter of Materials Research Society, Luis Delmar explains the importance of nanotechnology.
→ MRS
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
“We have a huge group that comes from different backgrounds — people who work in biotechnology and chemistry — because materials science is a very interdisciplinary field,” de Andrade said. “(The organization) is open to anyone: undergraduates, grad students and even staff. The idea is to educate, bring in people to teach us about things we don’t have access to on campus.” Vice president for the Office of Diversity and Community Engagement Magaly Spector is also on the society’s diversity subcommittee. The society is headquartered in the U.S. but 45 percent of members are from other nationalities, and it is the most well-known and important society in the field of materials science and engineering, de Andrade said. Chabal said the chapter’s focus on outreach is not limited to college students. “They are working with the Office of Diversity and Community Engagement, and they are being active in addressing high school and middle school students, too,” he said. Programs like Young Women in Science and Engineering Investigators help engage high school and middle school students early and encourages them to pursue STEM fields during college, Chabal said. Established in 2008, the MSE program is only for graduate stu-
dents currently, but Chabal said he hopes the MRS chapter will help create interest for an undergraduate program. MSE doctoral student and outreach officer Luis Delmar said exposing materials science to prospective students is a priority for him. “If you tell people ‘I’m a material scientist,’ most people won’t know what you’re talking about,” Delmar said. “One of the main goals that I have is to be more involved in the community.” Delmar said it only takes one experience to spark an interest in science and recalls the moment that helped him decided to pursue materials research. “When I was a kid, I was fascinated by geckos and how they walked up walls. I would catch them and touch their toes. I couldn’t wrap my mind around it,” Delmar said. “I finally read an article and found out (geckos) do that with nano-sized hairs and it was the first time I thought such an amazing property could be dictated by something I’m not even aware of.” Chabal said that kind of interest from students is critical to solving modern issues in science. “I think the most important challenge for the new generation is energy,” Chabal said. “Materials science is trying to address, and in order to really address this critical issue, everybody is needed. Young people need to think about that.” MRS membership is free and students interested can join via OrgSync.