September 8, 2014
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BROTHERS ON THE PITCH Senior, freshman play side by side on men's soccer team → Sports, page 10
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YANG XI | STAFF
Students left out of gubernatorial candidate's visit LINDA NGUYEN Staff Writer
Republican gubernatorial candidate Greg Abbott spoke Sept. 2 at the McDermott Library about his higher education campaign.
ABBOTT Students were surprised to find out about his appearance because they were neither notified about the speech nor permitted entrance to the event. Student Government President Brooke Knudtson said she found out about Abbott’s visit after a student asked her if she knew about his speech in the McDermott suite. She called Amanda Rockow, vice president of public affairs, to confirm Abbott’s appearance. “When I called (Rockow), she did confirm that he was on campus, but she also apologized because she said, ‘I wish we could have had student be involved, but it was his decision to not include the students,’” Knudtson said. The Abbott campaign could not be reached for comment. Knudtson said SG has made several attempts to contact both candidates to see if they would come to campus to speak. Although SG did not hear anything from democratic gubernatorial candidate Wendy Davis’ campaign, Knudston was in corre-
spondence with a representative from Abbott’s campaign. She said she received an email on July 29 from a member of Abbott’s campaign saying that the attorney general’s schedule would be booked from September to October. SG persisted and sent the campaign another email asking it to visit campus. With a student body of around 20,000 potential voters, Knudtson said it was unfortunate Abbott did not choose to include students in his appearance, but she said hopefully he will make another effort to come to campus and meet with students. “I was disappointed in the fact that we reached out to them, and they didn’t want to allow student involvement,” she said. “Hopefully things turn up for them, Greg Abbott and Wendy Davis, and they can come to campus another time.” Abbott’s higher education platform calls for Massive Online Open Courses to count for college credit, a statewide AP credit policy that would grant credit at Texas public universities to any student who scores a 3 or above on the AP exam and encouraging community colleges to utilize block schedules to allow students more flexibility to work. Rosalyn Huff, president of UTD’s chapter of Turning Point USA and an international political economy senior, said there are two sides to the story, and she doesn’t think the blame falls solely on Abbott and his campaign.
→ SEE ABBOTT, PAGE 5
NO PARKING ZONE
Exchange of residential parking passes confirmed fraudulent CONNIE CHENG | PHOTO EDITOR
DUNCAN GALLAGHER Staff Writer
Although it’s been a matter long unspoken of, the exchange of parking permits among students has been confirmed to be both against university policy and a crime. According to UTDPD’s Lt. Ken MacKenzie, there were instances of students breaking into vehicles and stealing permits the first week of classes this year. Regardless of break-ins, purchasing a permit using someone else's vehicle infor-
mation is a crime. “When you buy a sticker, that sticker goes with your car,” MacKenzie said. “Buying a permit for a car under your name that is not your car is considered filing fraudulent information, and that is a crime.” The lower price, closer proximity to campus and more convenient access to available parking has created a type of black market where commuting students can purchase residential parking permits from UV residents.
UV lots have become coveted by commuting students wishing to pay less for more accessible parking. Some UV residents have turned this into an opportunity to make a profit by purchasing residential parking permits for their peers and charging them a larger amount of money than they paid to acquire the permit online. Signs advertising the sale of residential
→ SEE BLACK MARKET, PAGE 5
Library schedule extending to 24 hrs LINDA NGUYEN Staff Writer
MIGUEL PEREZ | EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Following a push from Student Government, the university administration has approved a proposal that will extend library hours. The hours have not been finalized, but the library is expected to be open 24 hours on some days, said Provost Hobson Wildenthal. Since the beginning of her term, SG Vice President Nancy Fairbank has been working with Ellen Safley, dean of McDermott Library, and Wildenthal to extend library hours. “We have just heard a lot of feedback from students, not just last year, but with the last several student governments,” Fairbank said. Wildenthal said the team is moving forward with their plan to have a 24-hour schedule during the week and longer hours on weekends and most university holidays. This is an issue student government has
had on its radar based on student input. Fairbank said the library conducted a poll of 415 students for their thoughts on library hours, and SG also conducted its own, smaller study consisting of 20 students. She said it was evident students wanted the library to be open longer in both studies. “The vast majority of students surveyed want a 24-7 or 24-5 library,” Fairbank said. “There is a significant portion of students who want earlier or later hours on weekends.” Wildenthal said Safley has been given the authority to increase her budget and to hire new staff members. The library will begin its extended hours after hiring is completed and the library staff works out what the exact schedule, safety and other similar issues. The library will be open as much as, if not more than, other universities in Texas, but he does not know at this time what areas
→ SEE LIBRARY, PAGE 5
Did you make it into our Welcome Week photo spread?
GET INTO THE GROOVE MARCELO YATES | STAFF
→ SEE PAGE 6
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UTDPD Blotter Aug. 25 t " GFNBMF TUVEFOU XBT BTTBVMUFE PVUTJEF PG the ATEC building by an unknown male claiming to be a student at 9:56 p.m. Aug. 26 t " QPMJDF Pï DFS SFQPSUFE BO BDDJEFOU JOWPMW ing a police squad and a golf cart at 10:48 a.m. in the Activity Center Parking Lot. Aug. 27 t "U Q N B TUVEFOU XBT TUSVDL CZ B blue Toyota Prius in Lot H as she was walking through the parking lot. The vehicle left the scene without providing information. Aug. 28 t ɨ SFF TUVEFOUT DFMM QIPOFT XFSF UBLFO GSPN the basketball courts in the Activity Center Parking Lot by an unknown male at 9:38 p.m. Aug. 30 t "U B N BO VOBï MJBUFE QFSTPO XBT arrested on Campbell Road for driving while license invalid and other agency warrant. The warrant was from Grand Prairie PD for driving while license invalid. Aug. 31 t "O VOLOPXO NBMF UISFBUFOFE UP TIPPU B Dining Hall West employee at 4 p.m. Sept. 2 t "U B N B TUVEFOU SFQPSUFE IFS CJLF was stolen from Phase 8. Sept. 4 t "U Q N B TUVEFOU XBT BSSFTUFE GPS possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia in Res Hall Southwest.
Staff Photographer Marcelo Yates Contributors
NEWS
Corrections:
Aug. 30: " TUVEFOU T CJDZDMF XBT UBLFO from the Phase 8 Apartments, building #56 at 12:06 p.m.
Sept. 3: At 6:47 p.m., a student reported a theft in Phase 9.
Aug. 29: At 2:21 a.m., an uaffiliated person was arrested for driving while intoxicated, third or more, and driving while license invalid with previous conviction without financial responsibility on Campbell Road.
In the Aug. 25 issue of The Mercury, "BSJO #SPXO T OBNF XBT NJTTQFMMFE JO “Comet Comments.� "OXBSVM "CFEJO T OBNF XBT NJT spelled in the article titled “Jack of all trades.�
DRUGS & ALCOHOL OTHER
The Mercury regrets these errors.
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Suman Sridharan Justin Thompson Yang Xi Mailing Address 800 West Campbell Road, SU 24 Richardson, TX 75080-0688
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Newsroom Student Union, Student Media Suite SU 1.601
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Staff Writer
Smoking zones, gubernatorial visits and an expansion of library hours were among several issues debated at the first Student Government meeting of the fall semester on Aug. 26. A proposal to increase library hours from 18 to 24 hours Monday through Thursday has been in the works, and the senate discussed possible expansion plans. SG also considered improved marking of smoking and nonsmoking areas so students are better able to identify nonsmoking zones. SG brought a related issue of recategorizing e-cigarettes as tobacco products up for discussion in accordance with the recently updated Texas Health and Safety code. Smoking e-cigarettes will be prohibited indoors in addition to the 30-feet smoking ban around buildings. Several whiteboards in the residence halls lacked sufficient adhesives and fell apart as a result. “We just thought it would be a really cool thing ‌ welcoming (students) to campus ‌ and the fact that many of them are breakable and defective was
very concerning to us,� said SG President Brooke Knudston. SG has filed a complaint with the supplier to fix the problem, and the boards will either be repaired or the amount reimbursed to the university, Knudston said. t 4UVEFOUT IBWF DPNQMBJOFE BCPVU UIF MBDL PG USBTI cans along Drive A, and the Student Affairs committee proposed that the amount be increased. t 5IF TFOBUF EJTDVTTFE UIF FOGPSDFNFOU PG UIF $PNFU Creed with Dean of Students Gene Fitch. The creed asks students to aspire to the values of “honor, integrity and service� in all that they do. This creed was initially an honor code approved by both the staff and the student body, though both administrators and the senate were hesitant to hold students to these values due to enforcement issues. t 5IF "NFSJDBO )FBSU "TTPDJBUJPO XBML XJMM CF PO Sept. 13 at Reunion Tower. The turnout is expected to be the largest ever with 70,000 participants from SMU, UNT and UT Southwestern, among other schools. Students and staff can register at www.heartwalk.org and sign up for the UT Dallas team. t 5IF OFYU 4( NFFUJOH XJMM CF 4FQU BU Q N in one of the Galaxy Rooms.
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VEHICULAR INCIDENT THEFT
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OPINION
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Israeli perspective absent in Gaza article LETTER TO THE EDITOR REBECCA GERBERT Executive Director of Hillels of North Texas
I am writing in response to the article printed in the Aug. 4 edition of The Mercury entitled “Trapped in Gaza.” It put to print statistics that are at best, contested, and at worst, false. It also portrayed negative emotions and was incredibly one-sided. The intention of this letter is to set some facts straight and show that Israel is on the defense and did not strike first. Israel continues to act upon the safety concerns of Israeli citizens, after being attacked time and time again from Gaza. This war has tried to come to a halt many times this summer; however, Hamas has shown disinterest in the 11 cease-fire attempts. Those attempts have either been rejected or violated by Hamas not by Israel, according to The Washington Post. Stephanie Blitshtein, a UTD student, was in Israel during Operation Protective Edge and heard time and time again: “Is-
rael ceases, Hamas fires.” This was proven true. “The war definitely affected me while I was in Israel,” she said. “Our itinerary was being adjusted on the first day of my trip to avoid potentially dangerous areas.” Statistics used in The Mercury from the UN have been highly contested. Both The New York Times and BBC admitted after the article’s publication that the proportion of terrorists to civilians is lower than initially reported. The death toll is tragic; however, Israel has the technology and the accuracy of the Iron Dome, a protective shield over Israel that disarmed over 4,000 rockets fired from Gaza into Israel this summer alone. Blitshtein witnessed the Iron Dome in action as she and her family were awoken at 5 a.m. “We all jumped from our beds, in our pajamas, and stood under the stairs because at that point we wouldn’t have enough time to reach the bomb shelter,” Blitshtein said. “In the window we could see the poof in the air of the Iron Dome intercepting the missile. If Israel
did not have an Iron Dome, I would most likely not be alive right now.” In contrast, Hamas uses Palestinian civilians to protect ammunition, places rockets in civilian homes and uses UN schools, hospitals and mosques to store its weaponry according to the Gatestone Institute. The Israel Defense Forces also take tremendous efforts to protect and clear any civilian areas by providing phone calls, text messages and leaflets prior to entering any area, which is also not stated in the article. There is no other country in the world that provides that much effort to protect the opposing side. To add to the death toll of Palestinians, more than 100 Hamas rockets have backfired and hit its own people and towns according to The Algemeiner. “Trapped in Gaza” states that life in a war zone is a normal thing for Palestinians, but nowhere is it mentioned that it is just as real and as much of a part of life for Israelis. “The entire country has a ‘we are all in this together’ attitude that really comforted
visitors to the land,” Blitshtein said. “When I heard a bomb siren, I was frightened, but as soon as the siren stopped, life went back to being as ‘normal’ as it could be. Israelis have an incredible way of picking themselves back up.” The article mentions that three Israeli boys were found in the West Bank but had no mention that these boys were captured, tortured and murdered by Hamas. Originally Hamas made no claim of this happening. Later, Saleh al-Arouri, a Hamas official, admitted that it was Hamas’ doing, according to The Washington Post. While on this trip, Blitshtein traveled with same-aged soldiers in the IDF to make another connection to Israel. When told of the deaths of the boys, the soldiers had an unexpected reaction. “The news of their bodies actually being found devastated them. Every single one of our soldiers cried,” she said. “Throughout the entire trip, the soldiers were portrayed as being the strongest individuals we’ve ever met, but in this moment they were so vulnerable
to the outcomes of terrorism.” Later, she found out that two of her new Israeli friends were some of the men who went out to search for the boys during the mission. The Mercury’s article uses the term “open-air prison” and “prison” multiple times, but Gaza is not in any way such a space. The long waits in the airport are normal in Israel as well, and security measures are set in place to protect the lives of people everywhere. In the article, there is a contradicting theme. One sentence states, “they (the people of Gaza) value life,” but then later says “… they feel like they are not living anyway.” How can someone value their life but feel as if they are not allowed to live or have nothing to live for? It is also mentioned that there are no underground trenches and there is nowhere to go in case of an airstrike, when in reality, Hamas has used its resources, many given by Israel, to build tunnels instead of shelters, according to The Washington Post. The article also states there is
Privacy Is Not a Meme
a scarcity of rations, but it does not state that Israel is helping to aid all citizens with food, supplies and clean water. As Gaza continued to attack Israel with 83 rockets on Aug. 21, Israel was sending aid with over 230 trucks of food, medicine and general supplies and over 260 tons of gas to Palestinians that were in harm’s way, according to Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This summer, as Blitshtein was looking forward to expanding her trip to stay with family, her plans were changed due to the conflict. “I was honestly devastated when I had to cut my trip short,” she said. “My family planned an entire itinerary for us, but because of the war many places were shut down, and my family was scared to let us go places, especially outdoors like the beach, for fear of a siren going off and us not having a place to run to and be safe.” Needless to say, her experience was not what she was expecting and neither was the one-sided article she came home to.
HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY? Send a submission of 500 - 800 words to editor@utdmercury. com. Include references for any facts you cite. We ask for your name and contact information. Personal contact info will not be published. We reserve the right to reject submissions and letters, and we cannot be responsible for their return. We also reserve the right to edit for clarity, brevity, good taste, accuracy and to prevent libel. The next issue of The Mercury will be published on Sept. 22. Submit your finalized opinion or letter by Sept. 15, and contact the editor-in-chief by Sept. 12.
ts
t e m
“What issues do you want gubernatorial candidates to focus on?”
en
Co
LINA MOON | GRAPHICS EDITOR
m m Co
“Abortion. Women should have the rights to their own bodies.” Alex Vuong Biology freshman
“Abortion. It should be up to the mother and father who conceived the child. It shouldn’t be up to the government.” Jason Levy Neuroscience junior
Question related to “Students left out...” on pg. 1 “Texas and other conservative states trying to limit abortion. I feel like we have no right to tell people what to do with their bodies.” Caroline Ferguson Accounting senior
“Legalization of marijuana and other substances.” Joseph Wilkinson Electrical engineering senior
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Comparing college parking prices The second parking garage opened up this fall adding 750 more spaces. Sixty four orange and gold spots were added to Lot J and 359 residence spaces were added to Lot T. The new parking garage has Einstein Bros. Bagels and an IHOP Express set to open in spring 2015 along with offices for Parking and Transportation, said Cris Aquino, director for parking and transportation.
There will be two additional parking spots in Lot T for Zipcars, taking the total number of Zipcars on campus to 11. Prices for all permits have gone up and a green spot costs $107 annually and a gold spot costs $187.
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→ ABBOTT
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“Somebody from outside can’t just book a room in the library,” Huff said. “Someone from the university has to know so whether, it (is a) higher up, a VP, somebody knew.” She said that doesn’t excuse what happened, but students shouldn’t immediately blame the candidate. “It’s not necessarily Greg Abbott’s fault. I’m sure he probably did want to meet students,” Huff said. “I’m not saying he’s right for that, but I’m saying it goes both ways.” She said this is also one of the reasons the Republican Party may be beginning to lose college students’ votes. “He’s a republican candidate,” she said. “From that perspective, if you come to campus speaking about higher education especially at UT Dallas, which is basically a tier one school, then you really do have to reach out to students. And I’m not sure if he responded to students’ requests to come speak at UTD, but that’s the thing, if you’re a candi-
→ LIBRARY
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of the library will be open or how functional the library will be during these extended hours. Fairbank said some staff members are concerned with safety and security during the extended library hours. The escort system is and will be available to students, but they hope to add regular police patrols at regular intervals during the extended hours, she said. The idea of a Comet Card reader that would only allow students into the library if they swipe their card has been brought up, but Wildenthal said when the library transitions to its extended hours, this will not be in place. Ultimately, there are two issues regarding services to stu-
date and you don’t reach out to students, and you say, ‘Well why isn’t the Republican party progressing, and why aren’t we getting all these votes,’ it’s because stuff like this happens.” She said all political parties, whether Republican, Democrat or Libertarian, should embrace college-aged voters who want to be involved. “It’s getting to know who’s running for office, getting to know people so we can make up our mind,” Huff said. She said she hopes Abbott decides to come back to campus and respond to student questions. She also hopes Davis makes a visit to campus as well. Marisa Lucky, vice president of the UTD College Democrats and political science sophomore, said politics aside, as a student who wants to be informed, being excluded from the speech was upsetting. Although the UTD College Democrats aren’t rooting for Abbott, Lucky said it would have been interesting to be involved in his speech on campus. “Him not being available for comment by students is insult-
ing to our intelligence and insulting to the campaign process as a whole because having transparency in a campaign is one of the most important aspects in the sense that I really want to be able to ask a candidate about their policies and have them talk about them,” Lucky said. She said she would have been more upset if Davis had made an appearance on campus and not allowed students to attend. Davis spoke at a rally at the University of North Texas, Sept. 5, ending a week-long tour of Texas universities. Earlier this week she also visited and spoke with students at the University of Houston, Prairie View A&M University, Texas A&M University and UT San Antonio. Davis’ higher education campaign stresses more funding for grant programs and graduate stipends as well as exempting textbooks from state sales tax. The results of November’s will reveal the first new governor in over a decade.
dents: one is being a 365-daya-year university and the other is being a 24-hour university, said Wildenthal. He said he hopes the university will continue to extend student services such as keeping dining halls and the student union open on most university holidays. “The bigger issue is the life of the university on holidays,” Wildenthal said. “We have a community of 5,000 to 6,000 people living on campus. They don’t just disappear (on holidays).” His goal is to offer more to students in terms of student life and what is open on weekends and no-school days. “If the public psychology resonates with a 24-hour opening, it’s not that hard,” Wil-
denthal said. “Whether it’s maximally cost effective is the wrong question. People want it, they’ll be happy when they get it. Part of it is personal because I want the library to be open Sunday morning and Saturday night, and I really want it to be open on the (days the university is closed).” Safley is still consulting Human Resources and UTDPD about different factors that go into extending library areas. She sent a preliminary report and budget to the provost on Aug. 27, she said in an email to The Mercury. “It is hoped that the extended hours could begin during the fall semester if the budget is approved etc.,” she said. “I do not expect delays.”
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parking permits were found on UV mailboxes by The Mercury photographer Yang Xi. Computer science senior and commuter Alex Henkemeier had the opportunity to purchase a UV parking permit via a friend but ultimately decided against the transaction. Henkemeier didn’t want to take the permit away from his friend if he at some point decided to bring a vehicle to campus, he said. “I wanted a red sticker because it’s cheaper and spots are easier to find,” Henkemeier said. “The worst spot in red is better than the worst spot in green, because a lot of the farthest away apartments are still closer to campus, and it saves time because there are more open spots and youv don’t have to spend 20 minutes looking for a spot.” Only one UV permit is allowed per user account a year. This means any student selling their permit does not own a vehicle, does not need access to a space or has means of purchasing permits using multiple accounts. “As an ex-resident, I can confirm that I did this,” said a chemistry senior on the UT Dallas subreddit who wished to remain anonymous. “I usually never drove anywhere outside of getting textbooks, so I just left my car at home and sold my sticker to a semitrustable acquaintance that always complained about parking.” He sold the permit for $10 over its original price. Randy Herbert, an emerging media and communication senior and former resident, said the business venture had occurred to him as well. “I had it as a business idea myself back when the residential spots were $40 dollars
and I lived in the apartments,” Herbert said. “Most of the commuters said they would have considered the idea, but had already purchased a normal parking permit by the time they heard of it.” While some UV residents see the issue as an opportunity, others have voiced complaints about commuting students using third-party residential parking permits to park closer to campus. “As a resident myself, not only is it annoying when people do this, it's straight up unethical,” said electrical engineering student Daniel Sidelsky. “There is nothing like not being able to leave campus with your car because you know there will be no parking left when you return.” The price of residential permits has doubled this year from $45 to $90 in order to help pay for new parking infrastructure. The potential profit gained from these under-the-radar
transactions has been reduced, and may help to eliminate the issue. Students wishing to sell their unused residential permit will now have to pay $90 to purchase it under their name off the school's website. “I doubt anyone could make a profit off of it now because of the price increase,” Herbert said. The risk of being caught also discourages students from participating in the residential permit market. According to Cris Aquino, director for parking and transportation, no incidents of this nature have been reported, but the practice is not authorized by the administration. “If an incident of this nature were to be reported to parking and transportation, the case would be fully investigated,” said Aquino. “If confirmed, the case would be referred to the Dean of Students for further action.”
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SEPT. 8, 2014 | THE MERCURY | UTDMERCURY.COM
New Tex-Mex eatery good for casual outing
CONNIE CHENG | PHOTO EDITOR
Manny’s C.H. salad is served with grilled, spicy beef fajita and ranchero sauce. Manny’s Uptown Tex-Mex Restaurante serves breakfast all day and opened at Coit and Campbell on Aug. 1.
Manny’s Uptown Tex-Mex Restaurante offers upscale menu items, decent food JUVERIA BAIG Staff Writer
Located on the intersection of Coit and Campbell, Manny’s Uptown Tex-Mex Restaurante made its debut on Aug. 1. The food selection is diverse and breakfast is served all day, but toast and drinks are conspicuously missing from the menu. For those who prefer their salsa to have a kick, the restaurant offers fresh, homemade spicy salsa with chips as complimentary appetizers. Chilaquilles, a popular breakfast option recommended by the server, are composed of savory scrambled eggs with tortilla strips, bell peppers and onions — all sautéed to the perfect chewing consistency. But, the sides included bland roasted potatoes and boiled beans. The C.H salad consisted of a mountain of lettuce with a few cucumbers and tomatoes, topped with a large onion ring served with grilled beef fajita and ranchero sauce. The beef was full-flavored with spices and well done. Manny’s sopapillas were warm, little pillows of bread sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar crystals. The honey syrup used to glaze the puffed bread complimented the pastries. The restaurant’s style borders between rustic and retro with lively Hispanic music greeting customers upon entrance. It feels energetic with southwestern-style aesthetics and vibrant artwork scattered throughout the restaurant. There’s an outdoor dining area, which creates a natural garden atmosphere and allows for a pleasant dining experience for those who like the summer weather. It’s an excellent place for a family outing or for students to mingle after class. The service was excellent except an instance when the server disappeared for some time, but overall, the staff is friendly. They’ll accommodate dietary needs by removing cheese or recommending vegetarian options. Additionally, the restaurant provides catering and delivery options for groups of more than ten people. Overall, the menu feels slightly too upscale for the offerings since the taste is mediocre, but the nice ambiance, energetic atmosphere and great service makes Manny’s a good option for a casual outing.
UTDPD trains hard
Training procedures for campus police amp up academic, physical instruction SARAH RACHEL LARSON
UTDPD. After an officer successfully completes a police academy, he or she is sent to Austin for four weeks to complete Lateral Academy, a monthHowever safe and quiet the campus may seem, UTDPD doesn’t deter from staying alert by requiring rigorous and consistent training for its long course for UT System-specific rules. “(UTDPD) can enforce laws that most police departments don’t,” almost two dozen police officers. Campus police officers are more than just cops. Both new and expe- MacKenzie said. “For instance, the Education Code (which) allows us rienced officers are held to state standards of training and to the UT to make contact with any person to see what they are doing on campus. System training requirements, which means more academic and physical A city police officer has to have probable cause to make contact. It’s for student safety.” training. Even experienced police officers that start working for the UT Lt. Ken MacKenzie, head of the criminal investigations division, overSystem have to learn these rules, sees the hiring of new campus MacKenzie said. police officers. Trey Kiser, a campus officer, has “When an interested canworked on campus for a year and a didate applies to be a camhalf. As a new officer, it took him pus police officer, there are eight months to go through the a series of detailed steps in process of being hired, including the application process that going through Lateral Academy. cover everything from the “Lateral Academy reassures applicant’s financial situation, rules like the UT System policy work habits and physical abilfor vehicle pursuits,” Kiser said. ity,” MacKenzie said. “You can only pursue if it’s for a This summer, 43 applicants felony. And how we don’t pursue agreed to take the written motorcycles.” test to become UTD police After an officer finishes Lateral officers. Seventeen of those School, the last step is Field applicants withdrew or failed Training Officer, or FTO, where to show up. Out of the 26 new officers learn the ins and outs that took the test, 14 failed to of working on campus. Lt. Diane achieve a passing grade of 70. Bartek, head of patrol operations, Twelve applicants passed and personally assists new officers in could move on to the next UTDPD | COURTESY step, which is a preliminary UTDPD officers train to stay up to date with UT System’s requirements. FTO, which can last anywhere from seven to 16 weeks depending interview. The interview is comprised of five interviewers, including the chief of on each officer’s training experience. “FTO includes teaching officers how to write reports, how to work police, a lieutenant and a sergeant. This summer, three were disqualified the radio, make traffic stops and how to check contact information,” from the interview and nine went on to the physical tests. The obstacle course measures agility by testing applicants on timed Bartek said. “That’s all standard. Then, you have the additional learning physical tasks, like jumping over a two-foot and a four-foot wall, run- of the UTD campus orientation and geography.” FTO is very job related, and the obstacle course is reflective of ning quickly around orange traffic cones and dragging a 165 pound dummy in a simulation of saving a life. The ability test includes situa- encounters an officer can have while on duty, Bartek said. After the completion of FTO, UTD police officers are finished with tions that would be encountered on the job like changing a tire. Out of their training for the year and are able to patrol on their own, equipped the nine that showed up for the ability test, all passed. At this point, those who have passed and have not attended a police academy for the required six months, do so as they are hired by → SEE TRAINING, PAGE 9 Staff Writer
Found-footage ploy ruins film
QUICK BITES UNIVERSAL PICTURES | COURTESY
Perdita Weeks and Ben Feldman as Scarlett and George in “As Above/So Below,” a 2014 release that pans a treasure hunter’s quest for the philosopher’s stone that will grant her immortality. The lackluster script mitigates the energetic pace of the horror flick.
Horror film features one-note characters trekking through Parisian catacombs 7601 Campbell Road (972) 407-1616 mannysuptowntexmex.com ATMOSPHERE: Vibrant and rustic SERVICE: Accommodating, relaxed SOUND LEVEL: loud, due to the blasting music. RECOMMENDED: Chilaquilles, lunch specials, Sopapillas PRICES: Lunch specials or breakfast, $7; appetizers, $5 - $12; entrees, $15 $17 OPEN: Daily for lunch or dinner RESERVATIONS: Accepted only for parties of six or more CATERING: Accepted for orders of more than 10 people STUDENT DISCOUNTS: No
SHYAM VEDANTAM COMMENTARY
While it’s a good commercial for the Paris catacombs, “As Above/So Below” is ultimately another unimpressive foray in the found-footage horror genre. Scarlett, played by Perdita Weeks, is essentially Lara Croft, the famous female treasure hunter. On top of owning two Ph.D.s and a black belt in Capoeira, she is on the hunt for the philosopher’s stone, which promises immortality, in order to redeem her father’s tarnished legacy after he committed suicide in pursuit of the stone. Now, after discovering a language key to decipher a map that her father couldn’t solve, she assembles a ragtag group to descend deep into the underground catacombs in Paris to uncover the fabled stone. This group includes George (Ben Feldman), who has had a scorned relationship with Scarlett, and Benji (Edwin Hodge) the cameraman documenting her pursuit. Experienced catacomb
explorers Papillon (François Civil), Souxie (Marion Lambert) and Zed (Ali Marhyar) join them on the expedition. Director John Erick Dowdle is probably most known for his 2010 film “Devil,” which expertly built up tension through claustrophobia, editing and sound design. He similarly used a confined space — an elevator in “Devil” — as the set up for his horror film. However, “As Above/So Below” does not use its setting mechanic as effectively. Dowdle chooses to go with the found-footage tact to shoot the film, enabling him to do most of the filming in the actual catacombs instead of soundstages. These catacombs make for some naturally creepy and eerie visuals. Unfortunately, this style makes the film feel cheap and gimmicky. Nearly all the scares have been rehashed from other horror films with scenes underground. The shot selection is unoriginal and uninteresting. The limited point of view of the camera makes moving shadows in the background too on the nose. The lackluster script cowritten by Drew Dowdle doesn’t help. There are “National Treasure”-style clues on the ancient walls and tombstones, but they are solved within
seconds of their introduction, leaving no time for the audience to ponder the riddles. The resolution to the group’s horror is outof-the-blue and unearned. To the Dowdle brothers’ credit, while characters are mostly one-note, their interplay worked. Quips between the six principal characters in reaction to the idea of crawling over bones or encountering strange cults make them empathetic before their inevitable deaths — not many survive this night. Even though “As Above/So Below” has many problems, the pacing is excellently feverish and energetic. The 93-minute runtime whizzed by quickly. The real catacombs remain a popular tourist attraction today, and this film does pique interest into that bit of history by incorporating related historical events such as cave ins. In the end, some of the scares work and low ceilings and wet catacombs provide a natural tension. But the film should bury the faux documentary horror genre for good, because it could have been much better without the gimmick.
LIFE&ARTS
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to handle problems they encounter on the job. Lt. Tim Dorsey, head of the support division, said UTDPD doesn’t often encounter problems on campus for which it doesn’t have a solution. Training classes relating to the school are a priority for UTDPD. Because the international student population makes up about 23 percent of the total student population as of 2013, UTD police officers benefit from understanding how to interact with the variety of cultures on campus. “In the past, everyone who has worked here has taken a class on multiculturalism,” Dorsey said. “It was very beneficial because it helped us understand culture from all over the world.” Those who took the multicultural course learned how to overcome language barriers to communicate with people with cultural social norms and body language different from U.S. culture. Somer Fernandez, a campus offi-
cer, said working on a diverse campus can be a simple as respecting each other. “Working here, you learn as you go,” Fernandez said. “But the most important thing is respect. When you show respect, you often get respect back.” Other situations call for extra care and understanding, such as people from certain cultures who use the police as a last resort when handling a problem, Dorsey said. Every two years, police officers are required to complete 40 hours of in-class training. These training classes cover anything from using a Taser, state-and federal-law updates and more specific training experiences. UT System officers also have to requalify for the use of their firearms twice a year through a written test over safety and active shooting. If an officer failed to complete any part of the required training, that officer would lose his or her license to be a police officer in the state of Texas. Dorsey said that, to his knowledge, no UTD officer has lost his or her license due to incomplete
required training. Another training exercise conducted by UTDPD in conjunction with the Richardson Police Department was in response training to an active shooter on campus. UTD, being a college campus, is susceptible to situations like these, Dorsey said. “It was training in a situation where someone with a gun on campus is firing shots, kind of like Virginia Tech, for example,” he said. UTDPD prepares for the worst in a school that is known for its low criminal activity and high academic rigor not because it has to fulfill state and system requirements, but because it is simply able to. There are important reasons to take the job as campus officer seriously, but not at the expense of the students, said Kiser. “We’re here to help,” he said. “We’re not here to harass people, we’re here to keep them safe and make sure they abide by the law.”
UPCOMING EVENTS R.S. GWYNN R.S. Gwynn, poet in residence at Lamar University, is the author of award-winning collections and will read from his newest collection of poems, titled Dogwatch (2014).
Sept. 17, 7:30 PM Jonsson Performance Hall SCREENING: “STORIES FOR WOMEN’S LIBERATIONS” The Jennifer Lee directed documentary won “Best of the Fest” at the Los Angeles Women’s International
Sept. 18, 5:30 PM - 7 PM Faculty/ Staff Dining Room iFRIEND KICK-OFF MIXER Each American student will be paired with one international student for a cultural exchange program.
Sept. 19, 3 PM - 5 PM Galaxy Rooms VETWORKING FAIR Student veterans and their spouses can meet with employers, provide resume’s, gain valuable career fair experience and attend professional workshops.
Sept. 24, 1 PM - 6 PM Veteran Services Center
THE MERCURY | SEPT. 8, 2014
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SEPT. 8, 2014 | THE MERCURY | UTDMERCURY.COM
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BROTHERHOOD Senior, freshman brothers play side-by-side on soccer team ESTEBAN BUSTILLOS Managing Editor
DALTON MCFARLING
From Peyton and Eli Manning to Venus and Serena Williams, sibling athletes can have some of the strongest rivalries, but for Dalton and Daaron McFarling the deep bond formed as teammates only strengthens their bond as brothers. Both on the men’s soccer team, they are playing together for the first time in their career. Dalton is coming off a career season for the Comets. He started all 19 games for the team last year and gained all-ASC second team honors. Heading into the season, he was tabbed as the ASC preseason defensive player of the year. Daaron, on the other hand, is in his freshmen year on the squad. The rookie from Lovejoy High School was named the district 10-5A MVP as a senior and led his squad to three district titles, a sectional title and an area title throughout his high school career. Oddly enough, the talent Dalton showed for the team early on wasn’t what made head coach Jason Hirsch seek out his younger brother. “I don’t remember exactly how it happened, but I think (Hirsch) ended up at one of his soccer games,” Dalton said. “And he’s like ‘I’m pretty sure I watched your brother play this weekend … he
looks pretty good. I think he’d fit in here.’” Despite his lack of experience at the collegiate level, Daaron has shown some promise early on. He even started the team’s first game of the season. “Physically he’s got the tools, mentally he’s got the right attitude towards the game,” Hirsch said. “Technically, skill wise, he’s got the tools that he needs to play at that position, so we’re hoping he can step up and help us right away, which is what looks like is going to happen.” Oddly enough, one of the major factors that allowed Dalton and Daaron to play together at UTD in the first place was a mix of timing and a bit of bad luck. Dalton, who started his collegiate career playing for Trinity, got injured his first year there. He received a medical redshirt, which allowed him to transfer to UTD and maintain his four years of eligibility. “The thing is, if Dalton had played his first year at Trinity and didn’t get the medical redshirt, they wouldn’t have played together,” Hirsch said. “If I had a family member in the same sport as me, and I had the opportunity to play with them for a year, I think that would be a great thing.” This series of events allowed for the
→ SEE BROTHERS, PAGE 12
DAARON MCFARLING YANG XI | STAFF
V-ball team hosts Labor Day tourney MADISON MCCALL Staff Writer
The volleyball team (3-1) won three out of four matches at the UTD Labor Day Tournament on Aug. 29 and 30. The team played four non-ASC matches in the tournament. The Comets defeated Hendrix 25-22, 13-25, 28-26, 25-17 in their first match of the weekend. Senior outside hitter Taylour Toso led the team with 12 kills and junior setter Kayla Jordan had 38 assists. Freshman outside hitter Allie Harman hit .400 in her first game with the Comets. Coach Marci Sanders had two freshman players, middle blocker Emma Wallbrown and outside hitter Aimee Willhelm, starting in this match. “(The freshman players) did awesome this weekend,” Sanders said. “Allie Harman played great for us. Emma Wallbrown stepped in because
→ SEE V-BALL, PAGE 12
MARCELO YATES | STAFF
The volleyball team will host it’s first conference games at home in the Activity Center on Sept. 9 against East Texas Baptist University. They are currently 6-2.
LINA MOON | GRAPHICS EDITOR
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we had some issues going on and did well in transition. Ashley Levy was another freshman that did a good job for us.” The second match of the day ended quickly when Trinity won in just three sets. Even though the Comets kept close behind, they were never able to gain the lead. Entering the season, the team has only one senior, but Sanders has faith in the returning juniors and sophomores. “I feel like we are experienced even though our classifications don’t show it,” she said. “Our freshmen last year won (a game at) the NCAA (Division III) tournament, so they’ve got the experience and the maturity.” The Comets defeated Southwestern 25-17, 21-25, 25-21, 25-17 and University of Dallas
21-25, 25-18, 22-25, 32-30, 15-12 on Aug. 30. UTD kept the lead for the entire first set but struggled in the second set against Southwestern. Southwestern had a four point lead at 2-6 after gaining six consecutive points and won the second set. The team regrouped and won the last two sets of the match with a four-point lead in the first and eight-point lead in the second. Sophomore middle blocker Holyn Handley had 14 kills, and Jordan had an impressive 43 assists. The match against University of Dallas went to five sets with a lengthy fourth set. UD won the first set, but the Comets won the second set with 10 kills and finished with a seven point lead. The third set posed another loss for the Comets, but the team quickly stepped up its game and pulled a win in the fourth set. “When we got to the fourth
SPORTS
set we realized that we did not want to lose to that team,” Jordan said. “Everyone started going after everything, hitting the ground and making good saves. We took control of the ball.” The fifth set was another close one, but the Comets were determined to win. The score was back and forth up to 5-7 until the team regrouped and gained six points, beginning with a service ace by junior defensive specialist Kelsey Morrison and four kills by sophomore middle blocker Michelle Toro and Harman. The Comets finished the set and beat UD with a threepoint lead. The team also went 3-1 in their subsequent outing in the Austin College Classic on Sept. 5 to Sept. 6. They beat Hendrix, St. Thomas, and Austin College, but lost to Texas Lutheran. The team will play its first ASC game against East Texas Baptist University 7 p.m. at home on Sept. 9
UTDMERCURY.COM
MARCELO YATES | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Senior middle blocker Taylour Toso (right) and freshman middle blocker Emma Wallbrown (left) go up to block the ball as it comes over the net at the Labor Day tournament on Aug. 29 and 30. The team was tabbed to finish second in the ASC, according to the league’s preseason poll.
→ BROTHERS
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brothers to play together for the first time. Now that they are on the same team, however, the McFarlings have to deal with a bit of a competitive instinct between each other. “It’s like a father-son fight, you know?” Dalton said. “The father is going to die before he lets his son beat him up.” For Daaron, the pressure of living up to his older brother’s legacy brings about its own unique challenges. “It’s motivation for me,” he said. “Because if I screw up, I hear it almost 24 hours. So it’s just motivation for me to work harder because he’s always watching me, and he’s always mentored me.” On the field, they’re primarily defensive players, forming the final layer of defense for the Comets before the ball gets to the keeper. Daaron lines up as a right back and Dalton mans the left side of the two central defenders. Even though they play on opposite sides of the defense, they still have to communicate with each other more so than other players. When they were growing up,
however, Dalton was always a defensive player whiles Daaron was more offensive, according to their father, Brad McFarling. This placement on opposite sides of the field helped to foster the sibling rivalry between the two. “That just drew out the competition between them,” he said. “One just thinks he can score all the time, the other thinks he can stop him all the time.” Despite those strong feelings, the two have found playing together has only helped them bond so far. Daaron said having Dalton there to guide him has helped his transition into the team easier, with the older McFarling telling him about the veterans and how he should act around the other players. Growing up, Dalton presented a similar sort of influence and mentorship to his younger sibling. Soccer was a mostly foreign concept to the family before a friend asked if Daaron wanted to join his son on a team. This set up the stage for the brothers’ careers in soccer. Even though Dalton played football in high school, he said he enjoyed soccer more. From there, Daaron walked
the path his older brother had paved. “Pretty much our stories are the same,” he said. ”I’ve always followed him.” The relationship between the two doesn’t end at the sidelines. Off the field, the two enjoy playing video games together and sharing a common love for Liverpool F.C. Dalton, who is getting married in December, even named his younger brother as the best man for his upcoming wedding. “They’re as close as any two boys I’ve seen,” their father said. “They battle it out between themselves, but don’t get between them. They’re very close. They’re best friends.” As soccer players, however, they will be judged for better or worse on how they perform. In Dalton’s eyes, the bond they share off the field will only increase their level of play on it. “Whenever you’re playing on a field with 11 guys, you’re fighting for your brothers, and now you got one that’s blood. It kind of changes the game a little bit,” Dalton said. “He doesn’t want to screw up because he doesn’t want to hear about it. I don’t want to screw up because I want to show him how it’s done right.”