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Friday September 25, 2009
Volume 91, No. 21 www.theshorthorn.com
Since 1919 INDEX News Calendar Sports Opinion Classifieds
The Price on Identity
2,4,6 2 3 5 7
New logo misses the mark both design and message-wise, columnist says. OPINION | PAGE 5
EXTERNAL RELATIONS
Development Board grows to increase donations Famous alumni and restructuring may help in institution’s goals. BY JOAN KHALAF The Shorthorn senior staff
The man who led Operation Iraqi Freedom and a Tony Award-nominated actor, among others, are now part of an effort to garner more private donations for the university. Retired Gen. Tommy Franks, actor Lou Diamond Phillips and founder of Cross Timbers Oil Co., Steffen Palko, are among the 17 new members of UTA’s Development Board. “Those names, to a certain degree, give UTA credibility,” said Development Vice President Jim Lewis. “They will help us open doors.” The board, which is mostly comprised of alumni, is a group focused on fostering relationships and connections that could result in more philanthropy, which is critical to gaining nationallyrecognized research institution status, or becoming a Tier One school, Lewis said. He said the now 40-member board expanded to strengthen the university’s national presence. The university was eligible for the lowest dollar amount of donations for matching funds from the Texas Research Incentive Program out of seven competing schools. The program was established to help Texas universities become Tier One. The board is being re-
GO ONLINE To see the list of all board members, including new members, visit THE SHORTHORN .com
organized, with each member assigned to one of the three committees with specific tasks. Also, the board will attend its first day-long leadership summit today to develop its game plan for future private donation efforts. “Instead of meeting just twice a year for an hour and a half, then going home, the committees will be doing work between meetings,” Lewis said. “It’s more substantive.” University spokesperson Kristin Sullivan said Lewis and President James Spaniolo are committed to strengthening the effort to become Tier One. “So much of funding that’s tied to research depends on private support,” she said. Lewis said the University of Texas at Dallas, a competitor to UTA for Texas Research Incentive Program funds, wouldn’t exist if people connected to Texas Instruments hadn’t helped form it. “We don’t have that here,” he said. “We have got to change the culture of philanthropy here totally. The Development Board is the key.”
JOAN KHALAF news-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu
The Shorthorn: Meghan Williams
Valerie Arnaez, nursing junior and Student Alumni Association director of special projects, shovels water into mud pits Thursday at the Oozeball lot, near the corner of Greek Row Drive and Summit Avenue.
These Boots Are Made For Stomping Students met at the Lot near Greek Row Drive and Summit Avenue on Thursday to prepare the ground for Oozeball, one of the campus’ oldest traditions. The event will take place today at noon after being postponed due to last week’s rain. Oozeball is a mud volleyball tournament in which teams across campus compete. Thursday, students prepared the courts by “stomping the mud.” After the city’s fire department hosed down the lot, the volunteers got busy stomping, raking and jumping on the mud to get it nice and messy for today’s event. The volunteers were responsible for picking out rocks and any other hazardous objects in the mud to keep Oozeball players safe. The students were rewarded for the dirty work by getting free pizza and Hawaiian Punch. — Morganne Stewart and Meghan Williams
The Shorthorn: Morganne Stewart
Nursing junior Valentina Anyaehie, stomps through the mud and picks out rocks and sticks to make the courts safe for Oozeball today. Shoes are mandatory for Oozeball players to keep the feet safe.
WHEN AND WHERE What: Oozeball mud volleyball tournament When: starting at noon today Where: near the corner of Greek Row Drive and Summit Avenue
SCIENCE
College now offers new science degree October for a new Bachelor of Science
The Shorthorn: Stephanie Goddard
1-0 IN CONFERENCE Setter Raegan Daniel, center, and middle blocker Amanda Aguilera watch as outside hitter Alicia Shaffer hits the ball in the volleyball game against the UTSA on Thursday night in Texas Hall.
For the full story see page 3
UTA is the second North Texas public in Environmental and Earth Sciences institution to have an environmental degree. It was introduced now beand earth sciences undergraduate. cause UTA would become the second BY VINOD SRINIVASAN The Shorthorn staff
Undergraduate students will soon have the chance to explore science in a new, green way. Students can begin registering in
public university to offer the degree in North Texas and the degree relates to UTA’s emphasis on the environment and sustainability, said John Wickham, Earth and Environmental Sciences chair. Environmental challenges are complex and this degree is only the
beginning to exploring those, said Wickham said via e-mail. “The challenge on everyone’s mind is global warming, but that is just the one in the news,” Wickham said. He added that other challenges students will learn about are water, soil and air pollution, as well as the use of resources such as fresh water and its effects on ecosystems. DEGREE continues on page 4