The Mercury 09/22

September 22, 2014

facebook.com/theutdmercury | @utdmercury LINDA NGUYEN | STAFF

FRAT PARTY BUST

THE MERCURY | UTDMERCURY.COM

JOHNATHAN BANKS & ANWESHA BHATTACHARJEE Mercury Staff

INTERNATIONAL PLAYERS

Richardson PD cited at least 53 students for minor in consumption of alcohol at a Sigma Alpha Epsilon house party on Sept. 7.

As a result, the UTD chapter of SAE has been ordered to cease and desist by the national organization, according to Daniel Hernandez, assistant director of Fraternity and Sorority Life. The chapter and its members are suspended until the organization’s investigation is complete.

Four officers were dispatched to the house located

at the intersection of Plano and Renner Roads shortly after midnight to investigate a report of a large party with alcohol and minors present, according to Richardson PD’s crime report.

As they approached the house, one officer noticed several empty beer bottles, plastic cups in the front yard and a loud noise coming from within, the report stated.

Another officer went around to the back and found people trying to climb out of one of the windows and others attempting to flee through a garage.

Officers detained all the individuals and determined them to be under the age of 21. The officers then took the detainees back inside the house.

Most attendees were handed off to a parent or

guardian. Only one student had to be taken to the hospital for treatment after he was found to be highly intoxicated.

Although SAE President Andrew Daley confirmed attending the party, he declined to comment on whether it was an official SAE event or if he had been involved with the planning.

No university funds were used for the party, Hernandez said.

Computer science freshman, Keishi Mii, witnessed the aftermath of the bust.

“There were some kids talking to officers and others waiting for someone to pick them up out on the

→ SEE BUST, PAGE

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ALUMNA MISSING SINCE AUG TAYLOR HEAGLER Staff Writer

Athletes travel from afar to play for Comets → Sports, page 9

Friends and family of UTD alumna Christina Morris gathered around Celebration Parkway in Allen on Sept. 18 for a candlelight vigil. The Plano resident has been missing for more than three weeks.

Morris was reported missing on Sept. 4 after last being seen at the Shops of Legacy on Aug. 30, according to Morris' mother, Jonni McElroy.

The 23-year-old was last seen walking to her car at the shopping complex around 3 a.m. She is 5 feet 4 inches tall, weighs 100 pounds and has brown eyes and blonde hair.

Her boyfriend, Hunter Foster, and her mother have spoken out in regards to her disappearance, asking for anyone with information to come forward.

Along with the Plano Police Department

working to find Morris, many people in the community have openly volunteered their time in order to help with the search efforts.

CHRISTINA MORRIS "The community has been outstanding with the support...helping bring her home," said McElroy.

On Sept. 9, Texas EquuSearch, a volunteer-run organization that uses horseback, helicopter and other resources to conduct

searches, joined the search for Morris.

People filed into the missing persons data system stay in the system until they’re found, but according to the Plano Police Department’s public information office, a person who is never found is extremely rare.

On Sept. 11, the Federal Aviation Administration gave EquuSearch permission to use a drone to help with the search for Morris. The drone flew over Plano until Sept. 15, but the organization suspended the search on Sept. 18 until law enforcement officials can gather more information, according to the Texas EquuSearch website.

"We need flyers to continue to be posted and for everyone to keep their ears and eyes open for any leads and clues that might lead us to bringing her home,” McElroy said.

Anyone who has information on Morris’ disappearance or whereabouts can contact the Plano PD at 972-424-5678.

SKIPPING ON SECTION 1033

YANG XI | STAFF

UTD forgoes UT System's participation in DOD military redistribution program

PEST CONTROL Apartment facilities frustrate students, management News

4

TATS& TALES ESTEBAN BUSTILLOS Managing Editor

Photos

6

E-CIG RUMORS

News

12

A Department of Defense program giving surplus military equipment to police departments around the country has come under recent scrutiny.

City and University police departments, along with school districts across the nation have used the program, known as Section 1033, to obtain gear. This aspect in particular has come under fire, with about two dozen groups, including the NAACP, releasing a letter on Sept. 15 asking the DOD to stop issuing the equipment to schools.

More than $5.1 billion of equipment has been transferred to law enforcement officials since the program’s inception since in 1997.

UT System police departments have been able to equip themselves with hand-medown weapons, vehicles and other equipment from the program.

Police departments tend to use the program to get equipment because it is typically less expensive for them to attain as op-

posed to buying from a vendor, according to UTDPD’s Chief of Police Larry Zacharias.

They also have the option of getting their equipment through catalogues sent to them from suppliers. These catalogues have everything from tactical boots to helmets, Zacharias said.

He said whether or not a police department uses the program to get equipment depends on what its goal is. UTDPD’s focus is on more of a community approach toward policing, making some of the heavier equipment nonessential, Zacharias said.

“I also feel very strongly about how we interact with the Richardson PD because of our partnership with them and the training that we’ve done with them,” Zacharias said.

“So if I have a situation that goes tactical, I have the upmost confidence in how Richardson will assist us with that. So I don’t feel from my perspective that I have to have a full blown SWAT team, that I have to have assault rifles and all this tactical gear.”

He said the probability of a situation

where UTDPD would need a tactical squad for assistance, such as an active shooter, is relatively low.

Zacharias said UTDPD did acquire equipment from the program, but it was disposed of before he was named chief.

This gear included night goggles and an armored vehicle. To his knowledge, UTDPD is not currently in possession of any equipment from the DOD. The UT System, on the other hand, has two Humvees and a Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected armored vehicle from the 1033 program, along with patrol rifles.

Karen Adler, assistant director of public affairs for the System, said the MRAP is used in the event of an active shooter to provide protection to officers and victims. It is also used to locate survivors after a natural disaster.

The Humvees are stationed in the Rio Grande Valley, where the System’s rapid

→ SEE MILITARY, PAGE 12

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THE MERCURY UTDMERCURY.COM Volume XXXIV No. 14 Editor-in-Chief Miguel Perez

editor@utdmercury.com (972) 883-2294

Managing Editor Esteban Bustillos managingeditor @utdmercury.com (972) 883-2287

Director of Sales and Promotions Juveria Baig ads@utdmercury.com (972) 883-2210

Web Editor Anwesha Bhattacharjee

web@utdmercury.com

Photo Editor Connie Cheng

photo@utdmercury.com

Graphics Editor Lina Moon

graphics@utdmercury.com

Copy Desk Chief Lauren Featherstone copy@utdmercury.com

Media Adviser Chad Thomas

chadthomas@utdallas.edu (972) 883-2286

Contributors Johnathan Banks Nicole Brown Duncan Gallagher Nidhi Gotgi

THE MERCURY | SEPT. 22, 2014

NEWS

UTDMERCURY.COM

UTDPD Blotter Sept. 11 t "O VOBĂŻ MJBUFE QFSTPO XBT BSSFTUFE GPS QPT session of under an ounce of marijuana and for driving with an invalid license on Campbell Road at 2:33 a.m.

Sept. 13 t " TUVEFOU SFQPSUFE B TUPMFO J1BE .JOJ JO UIF Engingeering and Computer Science building at 1:20 p.m. t "O VOBĂŻ MJBUFE QFSTPO XBT BSSFTUFE GPS ESJW ing under the influence of alcohol and for possession of an unknown controlled substance at Residence Hall Southwest at 11:14 p.m. The driver and the passenger were cited for an open container of alcohol in the vehicle. t A student was issued a citation for disorderly conduct due to loud noise at Phase 7 at 6:01 a.m.

Sept. 14 t An unaffiliated male was arrested for driving without a license and trying to evade an officer a vehicle pursuit off campus at 1:55 a.m.

Sept. 15 t " TUVEFOU SFQPSUFE B TUPMFE J1BE .JOJ BU UIF Activity Center at 3:25 p.m. t A student reported a stolen purse from Dining Hall West at 8:38 p.m.

Sept. 16 t A student reported someone took the mouse to her computer from her desk in the Student Union around 10 a.m.

Sept. 17 t A student reported someone entered his unlocked vehicle and removed his parking permit at 12:41 p.m. in Lot C.

Emily Grams

Sept. 8: A Chartwells employee was arrested for assault by contact or family violence around Rutford Avenue at 8:17 p.m.

LEGEND

Taylor Heagler Humza Khan Ian LaMarsh

VEHICULAR INCIDENT

Sarah Rachel Larson Linda Nguyen Miriam Percival

THEFT

Arun Prasath Saara Raja Asif Sheik

DRUGS & ALCOHOL

Timothy Shirley

Sept. 12 : An unaffiliated person was arrested for possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia on W. Campbell Road at 11:59 p.m.

Parthasarathy S.K. Justin Thompson

OTHER

Molly Wade

MAP: UTD COMMUNICATIONS | COURTESY

Marcelo Yates Yang Xi

Newsroom Student Union, Student Media Suite SU 1.601 Advertising is accepted

by The Mercury on the basis that there is no discrimination by the advertiser in the offering of goods or services to any person, on any basis prohibited by applicable law.

The publication of advertising in The Mercury does not constitute an endorsement of products or services by the newspaper, or the UTD administration.

Opinions expressed in The Mercury are those of the editor, the editorial board or the writer of the article. They are not necessarily the view of the UTD administration, the Board of Regents or the Student Media Operating Board.

The Mercury’s editors retain the right to refuse or edit any submission based on libel, malice, spelling, grammar and style, and violations of Section 54.23 (f ) (1-6) of UTD policy.

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JUST THE FACTS

Mailing Address 800 West Campbell Road, SU 24 Richardson, TX 75080-0688

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2012

Sept. 13: An unaffiliated male was arrested for public intoxication and possession of marijuana on Campbell at 12:10 a.m.

OPINION

SEPT. 22, 2014 | THE MERCURY | UTDMERCURY.COM

MISS (IN)DEPENDENT

FAFSA dependency classifications restrict financial aid for students living alone, without parental assistance

unable to move forward in the process offers these students is the chance of as an undergraduate and thus be elireceiving an unsubsidized Stafford gible for aid. without my parent’s compliance.

Either I could wait until I’m 24 Despite that I make more money loan after submitting documentation than my custodial parent, work two from the parents or an approved third years old (by Dec. 31 of the award jobs, am a full-time student and have party; the award then is left to the year), or have a kid, get married, join lived on my own since fall 2011, I, discretion of the financial aid admin- the military or become homeless.

Needless to say these seemed like like many other students, must inac- istrator. extreme measures to curately be described take out government by the government as a loans that I would dependent. This means likely be paying back that my information The federal government’s assumption that for years to come. alone is not valid, and parents will support a child in college until he I sadly am not alone since my parent would in this struggle to get not submit taxes or a or she is 24 years old is completely my parent to submit W2, I cannot receive unsubstantiated.

FAFSA information any government assisso I may attend coltance to attend college. lege. Whether due The U.S. Departto carelessness or ill ment of Education’s Even if parents do not claim the intent, parental inaction is prevalent Federal Student Aid website states, “… a dependent student is assumed to student on tax forms or if the student enough to be addressed in the comhave the support of parents.” Yet, on proves total self-sufficiency, he or she mon questions section of every informational site on financial aid. the office’s FAFSA site it says, “Stu- is still required to be a dependent.

There seems to be no known reason Considering my parents have not dents whose parents refuse support are not eligible for a dependency over- died, legally abandoned or abused me, as to why students are not classified as I found myself with only a few options independent until age 24 and certainride.”

The only thing Federal Student Aid to change my status to “independent” ly no logical one considering the old-

LAUREN FEATHERSTONE COMMENTARY

As I stood in the hour-and-a-halflong line at the Bursar’s Office on Sept. 8, I looked around and saw many concerned faces that matched my own. Most of the students were there to figure out a payment plan for fall classes that would be dropped the following day if payment wasn’t resolved.

I wondered how many were in a situation similar to mine: unable to receive any federal or state grants or loans, unsure of where the $5,000plus would come from.

The reason for my lack of financial aid was not because I failed to turn in my required FAFSA documents or because I came from a well-enoughoff family (according to the government), but it was my classification as a “dependent” that would render me

3

est age of majority in any state is 22.

FAFSA.com sums up the unwavering irrationality of the classifications in one note: “IMPORTANT: Many students feel that they should be able to declare INDEPENDENT status because they live on their own, file their own taxes, or receive no support from their parents. Unfortunately, the Department of Education is extremely strict with regard to determining dependency status.”

The federal government’s assumption that parents will support a child in college until he or she is 24 years old is completely unsubstantiated. And its unwillingness to assist students whose parents won’t is counterproductive to the students’ success and the success of the country. If we want to educate our nation, we must give our young adults the power to attend college.

To educate and progress the self is the choice of the individual; no student should suffer because of the irresponsibility of the parent or because of the ignorance of the government.

Student loan bubble reaching boiling point ASIF SHEIK COMMENTARY

The student loan bubble is starting to burst.

Young adults are taking record levels of student loans and other debt to earn bachelor and associate degrees.

Beginning in 1958, President Dwight Eisenhower federally subsidized increased levels of student loans for millions of young Americans struggling to afford higher levels of education through the creation of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. Many advocates of higher education applauded Eisenhower’s monumental step to create opportunities for millions of Americans who were struggling to attend college because of the financial burden.

Daniel Arce, an economics professor, noted the decreased availability and affordability of student loans from when he attended college in comparison to now.

“When my wife and I graduated college many years ago as Ph.D recipients, we were completely debt free,” Arce said. “If I had to make the same decision as a college undergraduate now, the decision may take considerable deliberation.”

However, loans are gradually becoming less accessible for college students each year as they must shoulder the responsibility of paying upwards of $65,817 in debt on average, according to the FAFSA. If the tuition and cost of resources required for college increase due to the increasing population of the United States, the average college debt rate will only increase in the near-future.

Kyle Jackson, an economics graduate student, expressed his outrage towards the willingness of students to take sizable loans.

“After years of watching students struggle with their loans, sometimes I wonder why students even go to college if they only choose career paths that offer no feasible way of paying them back,” Jackson said.

While 30 percent of the student body at UTD

MOLLY WADE | STAFF DESIGNER

takes on an average $5,969 in loans, according to the UTD financial aid department, 60 percent of U.S. college students must annually borrow more in order to cover the overall costs of college according to American Student Assistance, a student financial aid research organization. Jimmy Solice, a current under-

COMET COMMENTS

graduate student, has even exclaimed his concern towards the rising interest rates of student loans.

“I really fail to see the purpose in attending college when I lose more money each year than I would make each year after I graduate,” he said.

While the increasing interest rates of student loans

are having major financial effects on students, local governments that are responsible for subsidizing college education are also experiencing the detrimental effects of the growing debt bubble.

Tom Harkin, the chairman of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee that leads federal initiatives pertaining to student aid, has issued a statement directly to local governments in Texas.

He said they need to be held accountable for the federal student aid they distribute because thousands of students each year cannot meet their financial obligations. They default on a debt burden they are incapable of meeting. Arce expressed his concern for students taking sizable student loans without considering the prospect of paying off their debt with their respective majors.

“You need to take into account your major when you’re taking out student loans,” Arce said. “But it’s important to see how the salaries will be in the future.”

In light of the overwhelming consensus among students and educators concerning the detrimental economic effects of the debt crisis, several financial and political institutions have taken effective steps toward mitigating the crisis through a variety of approaches.

Many financial aid research institutes have taken initiatives to educate students, through interactive websites, such as asa.org, which offers various financing options, comparative breakdowns of student loan rates and documents the increase of interest rates throughout history.

Additionally, many web organizations, such as the Project on Student Debt, offer material that can be integrated into any high school curricula to make sure students are informed about the various financing alternatives to loans and how much students should approximately borrow without becoming victims to overwhelming debt.

While educational resources informing students of the economic risks of taking excessive loans are becoming more available through online web organizations, students must collectively take the initiative to examine the consequences of their own financial decisions before entering college.

“What do you think about campus police departments acquiring military gear from the Dept. of Defense?”

Question related to “Skipping on Section 1033” on pg. 1

Tell us what you think about military equipment on college campuses and answer our poll at www. utdmercury.com.

RESULTS FROM LAST ISSUE “That seems odd.

I don’t know what they need it for.”

Cheridan Kirkpatrick Biology freshman

“As long as it doesn’t cause corruption or anything negative toward the campus, it is okay.”

“It’s not really great. I don’t think police departments need access to armored vehicles. ”

Majid Khan MIS sophomore

Cody Farris Computer science junior

Who will you vote for in the upcoming gubernatorial elections in November?

WENDY DAVIS

GREG ABBOTT

62% 19%

I DON’T KNOW ANY OF THEM

I DON’T PLAN ON VOTING

I’M NOT ELIGIBLE TO VOTE

LARRY KILGORE

7%

5%

5%

2%

The online poll was open from Sept. 3 to Sept. 18 had a sample size of 166 participants

4

GROWING PAINS

THE MERCURY | SEPT. 22, 2014

UTDMERCURY.COM

GROWING PAINS UV management, residents inherit poorly maintained apartments a year after Waterview Park buyout CONNIE CHENG | PHOTO EDITOR

ANWESHA BHATTACHARJEE Web Editor

More than a year after Waterview Park was bought out by the university, the poor quality of apartments in phases 1-4 is putting a strain on University Village’s management.

As a result, several residents from apartments in phases 1 to 9 claimed maintenance has been slow this past year with markedly poor response times during this year’s move-in period.

“Honestly, I think it’s poor management and they’re overwhelmed. I don’t know what they’re doing,” said biology senior Michael Lai. “(My) freshman year I lived in UV in building 68, and they were fine. We never really had any problems with them and the problems we did have, they’d fix right away. But now, they have Waterview and there’s more people, and it seems like they’ve lost their heads.”

Lai and his roommate, biology senior Sanket Shah, moved into a phase 3 apartment two years ago when Waterview Park still owned and managed the apartment building, but there seems to be more problems since management changed hands last year, Lai said.

“I’m seeing all of these problems because Waterview did not take care of its apartments…” said SG president Brooke Knudston. “And whenever UV bought over this lot, they undertook a lot of problems to fix.”

New maintenance personnel have been hired, said Matt Grief, associate vice president for student affairs, in a statement to The Mercury. A clarification could not be obtained as to whether the new staff replaced existing employees and if the overall number of maintenance workers has increased.

Even with the turnover in staff, emergencies in the apartments still must be tended to. Accounting sopho-

PEST CONTROL

has been a challenge to maintain. The swimming pool and the lawns around the apartments are always dirty, said Yulia Vorotyntseva, an operations management doctoral student.

“On the (one) hand, prices went down,” she said.

“We don’t pay for the water or the Internet anymore.

Unfortunately, the maintenance also went down.”

Vorotyntseva found bed bug bite marks all over her arms as she sat reading in the phase 2 social center and claims the community study lounge is a hub for insect and bug infestations.

A resident of phase 2 for two years, she noticed a severe infestation of roaches in her apartment in the past year.

UV is fast at responding to reports of infestation and the first treatment is usually prompt, but the follow-ups are markedly slower, she said.

Fed up with having to empty out her kitchen for treatment several times and waiting three weeks for UV to show up for a follow-up, Vorotyntseva brought in roach traps to control the pests.

Meeds and his roommate Zakariya Ahmed, a biology junior, found roaches in their empty apartment and bought traps the night they moved in. They have seen roaches fall from the ceiling and creep through the cracks in spots where the vinyl flooring is peeling off.

UV inspects apartments quarterly and treats apartments in response to reports of infestation, Grief said in his statement. Follow-ups are conducted in extreme cases of pest problems.

Residents in phases 1-4 aren’t the only ones with concerns. A quick survey of a few buildings in phases 5-9 indicated that several apartments had mild to severe

Since the convergence, upkeep for community spaces

→ SEE APARTMENTS, PAGE 5

more David Meeds moved into his apartment this past June. Days after moving in, a water pipe burst in the vacant apartment above and flooded his apartment.

Despite receiving the call late on a Saturday night, UV’s maintenance personnel came within 45 minutes and fixed the problem, he said.

Maintenance workers were prompt about replacing the carpet in his closet as well as resurfacing and painting his bathroom counters after the incident, Meeds said.

“University Village, I think, does the best they can because these apartments are really old so they always have problems,” he said.

However, his medicine cabinet had to be taken out after sustaining water damage, and two months later, it has yet to be replaced.

In the past year, UV, which is managed by American Campus Communities, has undertaken several major projects such as replacing appliances and water heaters and reconstructing balconies in a large number of apartments, said Tosha Bowles, regional vice president for ACC, in a statement to The Mercury.

“While this transition and upgrade was largely successful and we have received a lot of positive feedback from students, we certainly see where we have experienced some challenges in certain areas and we’ve had our fair share of growing pains,” Bowles said. “While we believe we have satisfied the vast majority of our students, we know that some areas were not as good as we all want.”

Grief said the upgrades and maintenance of buildings 2–36 cost a total of $2 million.

WHAT LIES AHEAD This past summer, as hundreds of students moved in, the situation in the UV leasing offices was chaotic at times.

The management didn’t seem to be hearing what the students were saying, said SG president Brooke Knudston.

As a result, UV’s management saw a big turnover, and now with a new team in place things are starting to look up, she said.

Several new initiatives including the introduction of peer advisors for apartments in buildings 2 - 36, might help ease the process for residents this upcoming year.

Meanwhile, UV is planning on acquiring a software that will help workers in the leasing office log all the call-in maintenance requests and make follow-up visits.

UV acknowledges that their role in managing the residential community has not been up to the mark, and is working actively to change that, said Tosha Bowles, regional vice president for American Campus Communities.

“In the past month we have made several changes to address these challenges and we have brought in numerous staff members from other communities to assist us in doing so,” she said in her statement. “We are working and will continue to work towards our primary goal which is to continue to provide quality student housing for the students of The University of Texas at Dallas.”

- Anwesha Bhattacharjee

SPIRIT ON THE

RISE

Cheerleaders, power dancers work to foster college camaraderie LINDA NGUYEN Staff Writer

On the sidelines of Saturday night’s volleyball game, cheerleaders shout and jump in hopes of pumping up the crowd. While UTD isn’t renowned for its raucous sporting events, spirit leaders are working to foster a sense of camaraderie on campus.

But, cheerleaders and power dancers alike still face challenges in rallying up the crowds.

Political science junior and cheerleader Brooke Knudtson said one of the hardest things for her as a cheerleader is getting crowds to participate.

“They yell a little,” she said. “It’s frustrating because I’m putting so much effort into getting you to yell three words, ‘UT-Dallas.’ I understand people are there to just watch the games and relax. That’s the one thing, I wish the spirit was more energetic.”

Though the predominant sport at UTD is basketball, the cheerleaders attend soccer matches and other sporting events hoping to encourage the crowd. Both groups perform at events like the Texas Party during Welcome Week.

“The spirit program is a special part of the campus,” said Briana Lemos, director of student development. “It would be a little quieter and a little less exciting if they weren’t around. They help build tradition on campus.”

But, sometimes members feel like people forget they are also part of the larger UTD community.

“People see us, and they think, ‘Oh they’re just dancers. They don’t do anything else besides just dance,’” said power dancer co-captain and biomedical engineering junior Abigail Mateson. “But we have neuroscience majors, accounting majors and business majors. We have a lot of

really talented and smart girls on our team, and I hope people can recognize that we can dance and also have our careers.”

As a male cheerleader, Breeden said he has faced some misconceptions from the student body.

“A lot of people think I did it to meet girls, and that’s not the case,” Breeden said. “This happened too. I met a group of people who were like so you’re a cheerleader – are you gay? I’m like no, no I’m not.”

Lemos said she has seen the increase of the number of students interested in trying out for both teams, and she said the teams are very different from what they were even six years ago when she began to oversee the spirit program.

“I really think a big part of the spirit program would be to bring out spirit with the students, that’s their first focus, and then making sure students are excited about their experience at UTD,” Lemos said.

She said the attendance at sports games has increased.

“I think as the university becomes more like a traditional university, with more oncampus housing and more students wanting that traditional college experience, it just brings that natural spirit,” Lemos said.

Spirit on campus still has a way to go, however. Often times, students on campus don’t even know the cheerleaders exist, Knudston said. She said they’re visible when they’re at events in uniform, but other than that, there is a common misconception among students that the school doesn’t have a cheer squad.

Aside from trying to motivate crowds at games and events, both teams also compete in their respective sports. “(The cheerleaders will) compete against other cheer teams and we’ll compete against other dance teams,” Mateson said. “They do a lot of stunts and chants,

and we do more dancing to other music.

We both do fight song together.”

Knudtson said she is thankful that the mentality behind the spirit programs is school first, then cheerleading or dancing.

She said they usually begin practice with chants and cheers and then move into tumbling. Then, they practice stunts which are what people are most familiar with – it usually involves a girl “flyer,” who is the group member being elevated in the air by another group of girls who are the bases. She said when practicing stunts, it is important to consider safety first.

“Someone’s life is at stake,” Knudtson said. “Being a flyer, I’ve never had a bad experience. No one hits the floor, you might hit the floor with the base, but you’re not hitting the floor. We think safety first.”

Similarly, the power dancers begin practice with warm ups and then move into dance technique and choreography for their performances.

Knudtson said it has been exciting for her to see how the cheer program has progressed from her first season on the team until now. She said her experience as a cheerleader influenced part of her platform as SG president.

Lemos echoed Knudtson’s thoughts saying she hopes that more students will continue to want to get involved in the spirit programs.

“You get a lot of pride when you wear the uniform,” Knudtson said.

“It makes me feel like I’m part of UT Dallas and you want to have a good attitude about yourself when you put that uniform on.”

LINDA NGUYEN | MERCURY STAFF

NEWS

UTDMERCURY.COM → APARTMENTS

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4

occurrences of mold.

Most students reported that maintenance was prompt in attending to the apartments, and students seemed to have had no issues with delayed response times.

Maintenance is diligent about cleaning and painting the area with mold, often caused due to lack of proper cleaning or delayed reporting of leaks, Grief said. American Campus Community’s protocol for serious mold in apartments can even involve removing of parts of the apartment to fix the problem, he said.

Most of these problems, including pests, are not unusual for housing properties of this age and size, Grief said.

ACCOUNTING ERROR Minor maintenance problems aside, computer science junior Collin Campbell, who lives in phase 7, had a different kind of trouble.

He set up his auto-debit online so his rent would be withdrawn from his bank account directly. Several times in the past two years, however, he

received notices of no payment from UV. He went into the leasing office to ensure that no late fees were incurred because the online payment portal was faulty, but he continued to receive late fee notices until several months later.

When Campbell went into the leasing office to speak to management about the faulty portal, no one from top management was available to meet with him in person, he said.

While his allegations were directed toward the previous management under former manager Corey Dargan, the new management under Bowles will follow an open door policy, she said.

Vorotyntseva also had issues with UV’s rent payment system.

Under the account management system at UV, two different accounts are created for students who share an apartment.

Twice she received a notice from UV informing her that she had not paid her rent well past the due date.

Twice she went to the leasing office, Vorotyntseva said, only to find out her payment had been processed to a nameless account that would have

been her roommate’s had she had one.

AMENITIES Another major issue residents have is the lack of fast Internet connectivity, and several students have raised complaints to SG, Knudston said.

It takes Meeds and Ahmed 30 minutes to connect to the Internet, Medi said. While he is willing to pay Time Warner Cable more for faster Internet, Meeds said he is not sure that it would work because the apartments are still wired with coaxial cables instead of the modern optical fiber cables.

The network in the University Commons has been upgraded recently, but Wi-Fi connectivity issues remain a big problem for residents.

SG will soon conduct a student survey to find out where the pockets with poor connectivity are in order to improve online access to students, Knudston said.

Shah, from phase 3, was forced to live in his apartment without Internet, a utility included in the lease agreement, for several weeks last winter when one of his roommates uninstalled his personal router and

moved out. Despite repeated emails to Dargan and visits to the office, Shah finally threatened UV with nonpayment of rent and legal action for lease violation, Shah said.

The issue was ultimately resolved and Shah was provided with a $20 lease-violation compensation, he said.

UV response on this incident could not be obtained because Dargan no longer works there.

The biggest challenge for Meeds and Ahmed was the lack of certain amenities that are taken for granted by students, Ahmed said. Their apartment did not have light fixtures in the room, and his room did not have an Ethernet outlet — problems that maintenance can’t fix while a resident occupies the unit.

“It’s nice having new appliances — I like having a microwave, a dishwasher, a fridge and a washer and dryer, don’t get me wrong,” Ahmed said. “But they need to upgrade the entire apartment if they need me to pay the entire price.”

Knudston, a resident of phase 3 herself, said students living in phases 5-9 pay slightly more each month for a comparable floor plan than students living in phases 1-4.

→ BUST

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

front lawn,” Mii said. “Overall, it was just a ton of police and other cars parked along the street.”

Occasionally, Richardson, Plano and Dallas PDs will inform UTDPD about incidents involving students, Hernandez said.

Dean of Students Gene Fitch asked UTDPD to obtain a copy of the report with the names of the students involved, said Chief of Police Larry Zacharias.

UTDPD’s involvement ended there, and any further investigation is the responsibility of the Dean of Students Office, Zacharias said.

Most disciplinary cases go to the Dean of Students Office, which handles cases of academic integrity and mis-

NICOLE BROWN | STAFF DESIGNER

conduct.

When a student receives an MIC for the first time, the Dean of Students Office gives him or her a written reprimand and a developmental probation, which includes an alcohol and other drug education course, counseling and community service, as stated

in the Student Discipline and Conduct policy.

If a second offense is reported, the student is put on disciplinary probation, during which any additional violations of the student code of conduct can lead to suspension, expulsion and even removal of the organization.

THE MERCURY | SEPT. 22, 2014

The student can also be prohibited from participating in extracurricular activities, living on campus and working on campus, at the discretion of the Dean of Students.

The Dean of Students Office can receive the referral from the police, a student, a specific department or even

an anonymous tip. The office then conducts its investigation, meets with the students to determine if they violated the code of conduct and then gives sanctions accordingly.

“We don’t go actively looking for stories in the newspaper or ask Richardson PD about anything, but if a story is referred to us we do an investigation,” Winkler said.

“Off-campus choices can be handled on campus, and that is stated in the code of conduct as a possibility.”

According to the student code of conduct, punishments for on- or off-campus actions can span from verbal warnings to expulsions and denial of degree.

Scholarship loss based upon misconduct is not up to the Dean of Students Office but is at the discretion of the scholarship office.

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THE MERCURY | SEPT. 22, 2014

BEHIND THE INK

UTDMERCURY.COM

BEHINDINK THE DESIGN BY CONNIE CHENG | PHOTO EDITOR

Ravishankar Karunanithi Supply Chain Management Graduate student & Certified tattoo artist trained at India’s leading tattoo parlor, Talisman Tattoo Boutique, in Chennai, India.

His tattoo depicts the major three religious symbols in India (Om, cross, crescent). The quote, in his regional language Tamil, means “As you sow, so shall you reap.”

PARTHASARATHY S.K. | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER LINDA NGUYEN | MERCURY STAFF

“

I just always saw myself tattooed and I got my first one at 15. My friend made a machine Sara DeShong-Baker out of a hair Arts and Technology Junior dryer engine and some other parts.

I wanted it somewhere where I could both conceal it or show it, and I figured the bottom of my foot was perfect because it is what connects us to the ground and also requires balance — two themes of the tattoo.

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LINDA NGUYEN | MERCURY STAFF

Julie Gavran Humanities - History of Ideas Ph.D. candidate

Chris Gore Applied Cognition and Neuroscience Masters student The snake and staff on his arm are reminiscent of a Rod of Asclepius, which relates to his field of study and future aspirations.

Initially drawn on his wall by a friend, the squid design on his calf serves as a symbol of their friendship.

“

I think more people have tattoos than other people realize. And I think a lot of people are curious about them...In the tech and science world where there is more creative and critical thinking and you encounter different types of people, the tattoo stigma is more or less dissipating overall.

- Sara DeShong-Baker

ARUN PRASATH | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

“

The anchor Zachary Steinert represents Marketing Senior strength and family as well as the adversity that I had to go through with my mom battling cancer and eventually passing away. The feather represents how I do not let that adversity bring me down. In a sense, the feather supports the anchor.

”

>

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MARCELO YATES | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

”

For more photos & stories, see utdmercury.com on Sept. 24!

LIFE&ARTS

SEPT. 22, 2014 | THE MERCURY | UTDMERCURY.COM

MASTER OF THE GAME

7

‘Satellites’ show focuses on themes of communication

CENTRALTRAK | COURTESY

Christopher Blay is a guest of the artists’ residency at CentralTrak. His show, that ran from Aug. 30 to Sept. 20, explores themes of communication and science fiction using easily accessible materials.

SARAH RACHEL LARSON Staff Writer

WIKIMEDIA COMMONS | COURTESY

Chess grandmaster wins final match of U.S. Open tournament with lightning speed in five minutes SAARA RAJA Staff Writer

In the final tiebreaker of the 2014 U.S. Open chess tournament, the two opponents concentrated, sizing each other up and determining their winning strategies.

Ignoring the audience sitting all around the match area, they began moving their pieces at lightning speed, clocking in their time after each play. After playing only for five minutes, the champion was indisputably declared with a firm handshake — UTD’s own Conrad Holt.

Holt, a high-achieving physics senior from Kansas, holds the title of chess grandmaster. His

most recent win in the U.S. Open this past August adds to his numerous accolades from national and international chess tournaments over the years.

“Most (chess) games take a few hours.

Only the tie breakers work like that,” Holt said of the swift ending to his championship match.

Holt prefers these rushed matches, called blitz matches, because though they do not offer much time for strategy processing, they allow players to garner several consecutive

→ SEE CHESS, PAGE 8

As a current guest of the UTD artists’ residency at CentralTrak, it goes without saying that Christopher Blay is someone to watch.

At CentralTrak, Blay was able to create his show “Satellites,” which ran from Aug. 23 to Sept. 20. Made from easily accessible materials like car windshield covers, mylar, umbrellas and camera tripods, “Satellites” became a whimsically solemn metaphor for the attempt to communicate.

“It’s creating something that’s inherently incapable of doing what it’s meant to do, but having the tragic and romantic idea of doing it in spite of that,” Blay said.

Since the show’s opening, the media attention surrounding Blay has not deterred his easy-going nature.

“I try not to pay too much attention to things that are going very badly or things that are going very well,” Blay said. “I try to put things in perspective.”

The show’s “failure to launch” theme is connected to Blay’s love of science fiction and the machines that could never do what they were built for. He said it bodes about the possibilities

of tomorrow.

After his parents immigrated, the Liberianborn artist settled in Fort Worth. Blay majored in photography while going to school at Texas Christian University but eventually switched to sculpture.

His current work frequently revolves around institutional critique, commenting on the divide between those who are involved in the art world and those that are not.

For the closing of his show, Blay sat down with Anthony Mariani, associate editor of the Fort Worth Weekly for a public conversation about his show and his work.

“I chose Anthony because I think he has a really good insight into art and he’s written about my work before,” Blay said. “I thought if I was going to have a conversation about my work, I wanted to have a conversation with someone who has critically reviewed my work.”

As a critic of Fort Worth art and architecture, Mariani has had the ability to see the art world from a higher vantage point.

“Chris and I have known each other for 12 years and we’ve become friends,” Mariani said.

→ SEE SATELLITES, PAGE 8

Horror comedy engrosses with sickening visuals NIDHI GOTGI COMMENTARY

“Tusk” seeks to answer the question of what sets humans apart from animals in an unusual way. Its talented cast brings a refreshing take on the horro genre, effortlessly juggling kneeslapping comedy and dramatic twists.

Wallace Bryton (Justin Long) is a podcaster constantly in search of strange people with exotic stories. He shares their stories with a mix of crude humor on his show “The Not-See Party.”

As he makes his way to Canada to interview a teenager whose video has gone viral, he happens upon a ghastly manor called Pippy Hill, where an aged adventurer named Howard Howe (Michael Parks) lives.

Howe intrigues Bryton with his stories of seafaring ventures and survival on deserted islands, but the clueless podcaster doesn’t realize that Howe has bigger plans brewing for him.

Meanwhile, Bryton’s friend Teddy Craft (Haley Joel Osment) and girlfriend Ally (Genesis Rodriguez) receive a chilling voicemail confirming that Wallace is in grave trouble. They seek the help of the slurring, retired homicide detective Guy LaPointe (Johnny Depp) to rescue their friend and uncover Howe’s appalling scheme.

Directed by Kevin Smith, “Tusk” works well as a horror-comedy. The balance of humor and fear in the film is captured without a struggle, keeping viewers on the edge of their seat. The drama in the film is amplified by the narration of famous lines by renowned writers, including Ernest Hemingway and Lewis Carroll at defining moments in the plot.

The sudden appearance of horrific monstrosity after monstrosity, all of which are Howe’s creations, doesn’t fail to catch the audience off

A24 FILMS | COURTESY

Directed by Kevin Smith, “Tusk” explores the distinction between human and animal. The horror comedy follows podcaster Wallace Bryton (Justin Long) and his encounter in the Manitoba, Canada with the deranged Howard Howe (Michael Parks). The film was released on Sept. 19.

guard. The horror isn’t as frightening as it is sickening, so a strong stomach is vital to surviving this film.

All the characters are a little over-the-top and the eerie mansion in the backwoods of Canada serves as the perfect setting for a story about an old psychopath and a candid podcaster. Parks excels in his role as Howe, embedding fear in the audience with his convincing portrayal of a raging lunatic. Long steals the show as Bryton, with his witty dialogue delivery and truth-

ful depictions of dread, despair, acceptance and vengeance. However, the most noteworthy performance would be Depp’s role as LaPointe. His portrayal of a drunken ex-cop with a genuine heart of gold and clever ideas will sweep the audience members off their feet.

Although excessive gore and strange, unfathomable plot twists are central to “Tusk,” so is the underlying meaning it tries to convey. Humans are flawed creatures, but the presence of a soul separates them from the brutish, untamed

nature of animals. A human heart, always rife with emotion, will prevail even when the outward appearance has been defaced beyond recognition. “Tusk” is worth the time if only for its ingenious plot and compelling undertones.

8

LIFE&ARTS

THE MERCURY | SEPT. 22, 2014

→ SATELLITES

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7

“We had the same interests, one being the health of the Fort Worth art community.”

Mariani’s first question to Blay was about the difficulty of being a conceptual artist in Fort Worth, to which Blay said it’s difficult everywhere. Fort Worth artists connect with each other as a survival mechanism in a world where there is a lack of institutional support, he said.

Mariani went on to dub Blay “art mayor” of Fort Worth, as Blay’s passion for art has led him to be well known around the city’s art scene.

After Blay applied to Central Trak two years ago and was rejected, he gave it another go in 2013. He hoped to have a studio art space closer to the Oak Cliff neighborhood of South Dallas while he worked on a project.

The project was called “The Ark on Noah Street.” It was a community-engaging exercise that was successful in sparking conversation about the neighborhood’s vacant spaces.

Unfortunately, the project ended before Blay heard back from CentralTrak. A couple of months later, Blay took the residency and it’s been extended twice since he started.

“CentralTrak has been a great place to flesh out my ideas,” Blay said.

The biggest challenge in creating “Satellites” was balancing time between creating his show and working full-time running the art gallery at the southeast campus of Tarrant County Community College in Arlington.

However, whatever spare time he has is taken up by the usual: art, friends, family and Netflix.

Blay recently received a public art commission for the Rosedale and Evans avenue neighborhood of Fort Worth. The project is expected to be completed in 2015.

“I have a strong connection to the idea of making art where you are and it’s important to be a part of the community that supports the art that you do,” he said.

Karaoke Night

→ CHESS

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7

wins or losses in a short period of time.

“I like blitz a lot, though there are no tournaments in blitz, only small side events,” Holt said. “I like either blitz or long games, not the ones in the middle. They are like 30 minutes per game or something.”

Holt’s performance in both chess and academics naturally give him a place in UTD’s competitive chess team, a team known for recruiting elite players. In order to maintain a chess scholarship and position on the team, students must maintain a 3.0 GPA. Any potential member must be able to cope with their classes before focusing on any chess-related activities.

Jim Stallings, director of the chess program, said there is a strict policy of school first, chess second.

The team is comprised of both undergraduate and graduate students hailing from countries all around the world like Bosnia, Hungary, the Philippines, Russia, Canada and the United States.

Stallings recruits chess players based on ratings by FIDE or the World Chess Federation. Ratings are based on a player’s per-

formance in official tournaments against other players and the ratings increase with consistent wins and can also decrease with repeated losses. The ratings have statistical significance with players being more likely to win two out of three matches against players with ratings 200 points lower.

Players are evaluated foremost by their rating and second for their academic standing and age.

On the World Chess Federation rating system, Holt has a score of 2566, which makes him an official chess grandmaster. In order to qualify as a grandmaster, players must earn a FIDE rating of 2500 and two favorable results in international tournaments involving other grandmasters.

Holt earned his grandmaster title during his career at UTD, seven months after joining as a freshman. “(My favorite moment) being on the UTD chess team was earning my two grandmaster norms by tournaments held by UTD and our best team result winning the Pan American tournament,” said Holt.

Coach Rade Milovanovic says Holt’s growth is undeniable and is due solely to his passion and dedication to the game. He characterizes Holt as a devoted player and

UTDMERCURY.COM integral member of the team, saying many a time during team chess tournaments, Holt’s efforts were vital in saving the team’s ranking when prospects of winning were low.

As part of the chess team, players must attend practices that involve learning chess strategies, playing online games with preset piece formations and playing each other.

These practices are held twice a week, a one hour one-on-one session for each player one day and a three hour groups session another.

Many players, including Holt, put in well over this minimum four hours of practice per week.

Other than usual weekly practices, Holt spends extra time before major competitions studying his upcoming opponents.

“People usually have certain openings that they prefer and you can predict their moves,” said Holt, “I always play the same thing all the time.”

Holt’s interest in chess began at age nine when he first learned the rules of the game. He played his first tournament by age 11.

“I really started getting interested in chess when I joined an Internet chess club and I would have an endless supply of opponents” he said.

Through the university chess program, players attend team tournaments and are allocated a training budget to attend individual tournaments. In 2012, Holt used part of his tournament stipend to attend the US Championship Invitational, which happened to be during finals week.

He recalls having to balance studying chess and studying for exams, ending up taking one final at the tournament with a chess team official acting as a proctor and taking another final immediately upon his return to school.

Even though he has gained the title of Grandmaster, Holt thinks there is room for improvement.

He said though there is no title when you reach a 2600 rating, it is still an accomplishment, equivalent to moving from international master to grandmaster.

Apart from playing chess, Holt, a self-proclaimed nerd, enjoys participating in programming contests and reading.

Currently, his goal is to earn a 2600 Chess Federation rating by the time he graduates in May 2015. Professionally, Holt is not sure of his path but knows that he wants to enroll in a graduate program at UTD so that he can continue playing chess.

UPCOMING EVENTS BONE MARROW DONOR DRIVE !"#$%&'(#$)& $*+,-#.+$/)0,.+##1234$23$")3+2.5$6$7).#$4611)8$ donation drive. Registration takes about four minutes.

Sept. 23 ,10:30 AM - 1 PM Galaxy Rooms VETWORKING FAIR

TEA TUESDAYS WITH THE WOMEN’S CENTER Refreshing tea every Tuesday starting Sept. 2. Different varieties such as Earl Grey, Rooibos and Peach available.

Sept. 23, 10 AM - 4 PM Galerstein Women’s Center “STORIES FROM WOMEN’S LIBERATION”

This is an opportunity for student veterans and their spouses to meet with potential employers, give resumes and gain career experience.

This documentary won “Best of the Fest” for documentary. It explores the second wave of women’s liberation movement.

Sept. 24, 1 PM - 6 PM JSOM 12.110

Sept. 25, 5:30 PM - 7 PM CN 1.120

BREAST CANCER AWARENESS

“SEX TRAFFICKING”

PARTHASARATHY S.K. | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Sigma Lambda Gamma host a presentation about early detection of breast cancer. Light lunch and dessert will be served.

A presentation and discussion by Shawn McGraw, supervisory special agent of Homeland Security.

Students sang and danced at Karaoke at the Pub on Sept. 11.

The event is put on every semester and hosted by Radio UTD.

Oct. 3, 11 AM - 1 PM Galerstein Women’s Center

Oct. 7, 5:30 PM - 7PM Clark Center

CLASSIFIEDS

To place a classified advertisement for the next issue, ad copy accompanied by payment must be received the Wednesday before publication, rates start at $10.

Call, fax or come by SU 1.601 or mail ad and check to The Mercury, Attn: Juveria Baig, 800 W. Campbell Rd., SU24, Richardson, Texas 75080.

For more information, Call 972-883-2210 — Email ads@utdmercury.com

Job Baby sitter/Mother’s Helper needed M-F, 3 - 6:30 (sometimes later).

Seeking a fun, reliable sitter for after school.

Responsibilities include: driving my 8 year old son to activities, running errands, helping with homework, light housekeeping.

Competitive pay. Reliable car, good driving record, and background check required. Convenient to UTD (off Frankford and Tollway). Please text 972 822 7069 (Debbie) to apply.

SPORTS

9

SEPT. 22, 2014 | THE MERCURY | UTDMERCURY.COM

GLOBETROTTING COMETS

Canadian v-ball player and Ecuadorian midfielder come to the United States for academics, chance to play ESTEBAN BUSTILLOS Managing Editor

MALLORY KIRZINGER

For the hundreds of student athletes here on campus, the transition to collegiate sports can be difficult. Going from the high school to collegiate level can be like going to a whole other country.

This is more of a reality for some players on campus more so than others.

For freshman Mallory Kirzinger and senior Eduardo Leal, their journeys to Richardson started in the lands of Canada and Ecuador, respectively.

Kirzinger, who hails from Calgary, Alberta, noticed UTD when she and her father were looking for schools in the U.S. where she could play volleyball.

“Me and my dad searched through a ton of schools, and we looked at how good they were academically, and we looked at the volleyball program and UT Dallas came up,” Kirzinger said. “I was like, ‘Hey, they’ve got good academics, they’ve got a good volleyball program, and they’ve got scholarship money as well.’”

She first came to campus when she went to a camp put on by the team her junior year of high school. She visited the campus three times before deciding to attend.

After seeing her display of commitment, head coach Marci Sanders knew Kirzinger would fit in well as a member of the team.

“We knew once she was willing and did come for camp that she was pretty serious,” Sanders said.

Unfortunately, Kirzinger’s application process was made more difficult due to her nationality. She said she had to prepare herself for some of the differences between the U.S. and Canadian education system, like the ACT, which she never had to study for.

Leal, on the other hand, had to face a totally different set of challenges when it came to his journey to the United States.

Born and raised in Guayaquil, Ecuador, Leal, who has played soccer since the age of 4, originally wanted to attend a private university in his home country. He aspired to study mechanical engineering and play soccer.

Unfortunately, he said political maneuvering mandated all private schools there to go public, at which point Leal decided to search for a school in the United States.

He first attended Mountain State University, a private school in West Virginia, where he experienced many changes. “(Guayaquil) is always like 30 degrees Celsius average,” Leal said. “I went there, and I had three months straight of snow.”

However different West Virginia was, Leal still wanted to experience a larger city. It was from there he began to look at the possibility of attending UTD. He heard about the school from a friend of his from Ecuador who played at UT Tyler.

“He got in touch with me and said he was interested,” said head coach Jason Hirsch. “We got the release form from that university and we started talking to him. He contacted me. He found UT Dallas. That’s how I got to know him.”

Going from a private school to a larger, public school in a new state presented yet another challenge to Leal.

He said there were more international students at his first school and coming to a new school with more U.S. citizens made it somewhat difficult to adapt.

“In a private school it was easier, because you get to hang out with international people,” he said. “Here the majority of people that I know are from Texas. It was very different; it was very challenging for me. Luckily, Texas people were very nice, they were very polite to me. They helped me to adjust here.”

FINING IN THE NFL

EDUARDO LEAL PHOTO SERIES BY YANG XI | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Leal also has to deal with the added barrier of dealing with a foreign language, which has made it difficult to express himself at times. He also has to try to stay in contact with his family still in Ecuador, which he says he does every day through Facetime and phone calls.

Kirzinger has to cope with similar problems in a new country.

“It’s been different,” Kirzinger said. “It’s weird not having my family, because I’m close to them. It’s been weird having people laugh at my accent, but overall it’s been a smoother transition than I thought it would be.”

She said being able to have volleyball as a distraction has helped her get over being homesick. Even on the court, though, she still has new challenges to deal with.

Canadian volleyball has different regulations, forcing Kirzinger to adjust to a different style of play. She said certain rules like the Libero being unable to serve and the ball being unable to touch the roof are new to her. This means Kirzinger has to step up her game dramatically to be able to compete with some of the other girls.

“In Canada, there’s a lot of rules that are different,” Kirzinger said. “There was some communication that I had to learn. I’m getting used to it…It’s the same game, it’s just spoken a little differently, I guess.”

In Leal’s case, the play of American soccer differed from the Ecuadorian method he was accustomed to.

“He definitely has a different style,” Hirsch said. “He’ll use the outside of his foot to curl the ball around someone…You can tell when you watch him he does things a bit different.”

Along with dealing with a difference in style, Leal had to deal with a difference in soccer culture. He said he was used to seeing soccer on TV all the time back in Ecuador, but when he came here he had to adjust to not being able to watch the game constantly.

More importantly, though, Leal saw the difference in seriousness people emphasize on the game here as they do in South America. Leal, who played for the Ecuadorian club Emelec, said players back home either study or play soccer, but not both. He said for around 90 percent of the players there, soccer is their only option in life.

“Either they play soccer to get out of poverty or they don’t succeed and do something else,” Leal said.

For first-year players like Kirzinger, the opportunity to play and prove themselves is crucial to their future on the squad. For the time being, her role is to learn and see how the team operates so she can become more of a contributor in a few years. “(Sanders) likes to stick freshmen in situations and see how they do,” Kirzinger said. “None of the freshmen are guaranteed a lot of time. None of them are guaranteed a starting position.”

Even though both Kirzinger and Leal are mainly focused on their respective games, they do more than simply play.

Leal, who is majoring in mechanical engineering, is currently building a water treatment system using reverse osmosis to ship to other countries.

Kirzinger, on the other hand, plays several instruments, including the guitar, ukulele and alto saxophone.

With an international student population of nearly 5,000 students, it’s no surprise to see some of these foreigners compete as members of the schools athletic population.

Still, most of the student athletes on campus are American, making international athletes something of an outlier.

That trend may be changing, at least on the soccer side of things.

“What you’ll find at the Div. I level, Div. II level, and especially the NAIA level, and now even into the Div. III universities, it’s becoming international,” Hirsch said.

“There’s a lot of international student athletes starting to come into athletics in the United States.”

Notable 2014 Penalties PENALTY

PLAYER

VIOLATION

Ray Rice Baltimore Ravens

Conduct detrimental to the league

Wes Welker Denver Broncos

Performance Enhancing Drugs (Amphetmamine)

Josh Gordon Cleveland Browns

Substance Abuse (DUI and Marijuana use)

2 games $ 528,588

Penalty changed to indefinite suspension after video of Rice hitting Janay Palmer was released to the public

4 games $ 1,882,352

Penalty shortened to two games after drug policy was updated

1 season $ 825,604

Penalty shortened to 10 games after drug policy was updated

Figures from the National Football League, 2014 JUSTIN THOMPSON | STAFF DESIGNER

Tennis starts season with warm up tournament ESTEBAN BUSTILLOS Managing Editor

After a long offseason, the men’s and women’s tennis teams opened up their season with their fall tournament on Sept. 12 and 13. They played teams from around the state such as Austin College and University of Mary Hardin-Baylor.

No official scores were kept since it was more of a warm up tournament.

The tournament was the teams’ first outing since their seasons ended last semester. Last season ended on a high note for both, as each team finished in second place in the ASC.

They also had the male and female conference players of the year in Casey Clark and Casey Johnson, respectively.

Johnson is a senior this year, while Clark graduated in the spring. “(Clark) is done, unfortunately.” said head coach Brian Whitt. “We can’t keep him around for six or seven years. He finished his career nicely winning that award. But fortunately the other Casey, Casey Johnson, we have back. So she’s hopefully going to continue that success she’s had in the conference.”

The tournament was held in a round robin style between the schools competing, with singles and doubles matches

going on throughout the two-day event.

Part of the reason for having the competition was to prepare for a regional tournament taking place later this month, Whitt said.

This meant some of the new freshmen recruits got a taste of what the collegiate game is like and how it differs from the prep school level.

“They were like 10 times better,” said freshman Anh Ho. “…It’s much more competitive.”

Despite heavy rain the first day, the matches went on and allowed Ho and her new teammates to get a better grip of tennis at UTD.

The tournament also gave veteran players some much needed playing time to help them get back to form.

“Everybody’s kind of getting the grasp on the courts,” said junior Sean Spiesman.

“Everybody has their challenges, I do.

Everybody is just trying to come out here and play their game with their team.”

Leadership from some of the older players will be a key to the Comet’s success this year, with much of this years roster comprised of underclassmen.

As the teams look forward to the season, they must prepare for the reigning conference champions UT Tyler, who won both the men and women’s titles

last season.

Even though the teams play a shorter schedule in the fall than they do in thes spring, this time of the year is crucial while they gear up for a shot at the conference title, especially with so many new faces on the team.

“We’ve got some good freshmen coming in, so it’s always fun to learn about their games and playing styles and how you can help them,” Whitt said. “That always brings freshness to every season as the new recruits come in and work their way in with the returning players. You kind of see all the new double matchups and how the lineups fall. So, that’s always fun to see.”

10

THE MERCURY | SEPT. 22, 2014

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COMICS&GAMES

11 7

SEPT. 22, 2014 | THE MERCURY

The Forest 2

by Ian LaMarsh

COMIC ARTISTS & ILLUSTRATORS WANTED! EMAIL GRAPHICS@UTDMERCURY.COM TO FIND OUT HOW TO GET PUBLISHED

by Emily Grams

by Timothy Shirley

12

THE MERCURY | SEPT. 22, 2014

NEWS

UTDMERCURY.COM

E-cig confiscation rumors unfounded Confusion on campus as rules regarding tobacco usage unclear, students divided on feelings about smoke indoors DUNCAN GALLAGHER Staff Writer

Despite rumors of e-cigarettes being confiscated on campus, there have been no official reports of confiscation, according to both UTDPD and Student Government.

E-cigarettes are currently classified in the same category as traditional cigarettes and other tobacco products at UTD. Although using tobacco products is not allowed inside campus buildings, some students use their e-cigarettes indoors and in class.

Student Government Vice President Nancy Fairbank said SG has brought up the need for increased signage around campus to clarify areas where the smoking of both traditional and electronic cigarettes is forbidden, particularly near the JSOM, the SU and the library entrances.

“A lot of people do not think that e-cigarettes are classified as cigarettes,” Fairbank said. “It says that in the handbook, but not a lot of students actually read the handbook, so we do want to have clear signage around campus.”

Several buildings on campus are sponsored by cancer research institutes including the American Cancer Society, the Cancer Prevention Research Institute of Texas and the National Cancer Insitute. This is part of the reason for the heavy ban on all tobacco products in or around buildings, Fairbank said.

According to UTDs Tobacco Free Policy, grant requirements mandated by the CPRIT in 2012 require recipients to adopt a tobacco-free workplace policy.

“While e-cigarettes might not have secondhand smoke and decrease that risk, they are still a tobacco product,” Fairbank said. “And therefore, if we’re getting funding from cancer research institutes, it makes sense to ban them in those buildings.”

Physics senior Ben Cashen said he sees people smoking e-cigs

→ MILITARY

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response team can deploy them to protect UT Brownsville and UT Pan-American.

“Those two campuses are located near the border with Mexico, and so they would be available in the event of any kind of spillover border violence or any other event that might harm the students, faculty or staff at the campuses,” Adler said. “They’ve actually been used at each campus already in the past. One time, when somebody was threatening to explode an explosive device one time at UT Brownsville, and another situation where a student at UT Pan-American was kidnapped by a suspected drug cartel.”

Even though the intent of these vehicles is for schools to use them in a tactical situation like an active shooter on campus, the

PHOTO SERIES BY HUMZA KHAN | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

odds of them being helpful at schools like UTD are low.

“The chances of taking UT System equipment and deploying it on an active shooter or active tactical situation, the chances of it getting here in time are slim,” Zacharias said. “Particularly, if this MRAP is located at the UT Academy down outside of Austin, it’s not going to get here in time to help me.”

He said one of the problems with getting such gear is the necessary training that goes along with it—time he would rather use to focus on other areas.

“I really don’t have a strong interest in pursuing the 1033 program,” he said. “I don’t want to build up a big tactical force. I’d rather my guys receive more training on how to recognize and identify a mental illness because that’s a growing concern on campus. I’d rather spend more time and money training my guys on that because that’s what we see.”

indoors frequently.

“I mean, I don’t have a problem with it, but I don’t know what the majority thinks,” Cashen said. “I imagine a lot of people don’t really appreciate it.”

There are students who have questioned the university’s classification of e-cigarettes as tobacco products because most nicotine vaporizers are tobacco free.

“I think it’s interesting that e-cigs are banned under the ‘tobacco-free buildings’ policy even though they don’t usually contain any tobacco products,” said management information systems junior and e-cig user Matthew Cocco.

Despite this, Fairbank said SG has received complaints for students smoking e-cigs indoors and causing distractions in the classroom.

“The smell is distracting sometimes, or when you’re too concerned with the tricks the person is doing with the smoke,” said electrical engineering sophomore Maria Vazquez. “But that’s just like with anything else, like somebody using their phone or their laptop.”

Computer engineering senior Grant Carr uses an e-cigarette in lieu of the traditional cigarettes he smoked for years.

“People are offended by the sight of smoke because of the past 20 years of anti-cigarette messages,” Carr said. “So, when people see smoke they immediately think of cancer, even though it’s only glycerine vapor and nothing is combusting.”

He said he doesn’t see an issue with students using e-cigs in the classroom as long as the student tries not to cause a distraction.

For the time being, however, it is unlikely that the policy will change.

“As a smoker, I can accept the fact that people around here don’t really enjoy second-hand smoke or second-hand vapor, and I respect their opinion,” Cashen said. “It just seems kind of silly to have a problem with people who don’t appreciate them being used inside.”