North Texas Daily 5/3/2018

UNT student gives Denton a ‘DoseofSemaj’ with juice business ARTS & LIFE: PAGE 5

THURSDAY, MAY 3, 2018

VOL. 112 No. 15

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4 varsity teams to compete for UNT

UNT to open new campus in Frisco

By Sean Riedel @SeanRiedel UNT will build a 100-acre branch campus in Frisco to accommodate at least 5,000 students and is a project expected to cost at least $100 million, officials announced Monday.

The new branch campus is set to include academic and administrative buildings, a wellness facility, student housing and a library, according to a release from the city of Frisco.

The project was officially approved after UNT’s Board of Regents, the Frisco City Council, the Frisco Economic Development Corporation and the Frisco Community Development Corporation agreed on a new public-public partnership.

This is a partnership between a public authority or government body with another public body to provide services or facilities to the public.

Frisco Mayor Jeff Cheney thanked the UNT Board of Regents after their unanimous approval during a specially called teleconference Tuesday afternoon.

“We couldn’t be any more excited about what this partnership means for our community, for our businesses, for our residents and for our children here in Frisco to have these kinds of opportunities Jeff Cheney right here in our own backyards,” Cheney said. “Thank you for allowing your president to build this relationship, and we’re looking forward to building this relationship even further.”

Construction on the branch campus is set to begin by March 2022. It will be located at the southwest corner of Preston Road and Panther Creek Parkway on 100 acres of land provided by the city of Frisco at no cost, according to their website.

UNT will purchase a 50,000-square-foot office building — formerly North Texas Enterprise Center — for about $8.5 million. Under the purchase agreement, UNT will take ownership of the property on Oct. 1, 2018.

UNT President Neal Smatresk conveyed his excitement for the new partnership in a statement.

“With our home in Denton, we’ve always been the world-class

SEE FRISCO ON PAGE 2

Emily Head, Josh Intondi and Dallin Russell play Overwatch at the varsity esports tryout Sunday afternoon. UNT’s new varsity esports team will compete nationally in tournaments. Kathryn Jennings

By Lizzy Spangler @LizzySpangler UNT will officially compete at the varsity level in esports beginning fall 2018, with four teams for the games Hearthstone, Heroes of the Storm, League of Legends and Overwatch.

Tryouts for the new varsity esports program took place throughout April 2018, and there are plans for more tryouts at the beginning of the fall semester. “[The varsity program has] kind of been in development for about a year, is my understanding,” UNT esports coordinator Dylan Wray said. “Really,

the entire process has taken about three [years] from a growing student movement in the gaming community that was taking shape. It got onto the president’s radar and basically the Division of Student Affairs was charged with figuring it out and understanding the world of esports.”

Wray said when the Division of Student Affairs realized there was a huge gaming community at UNT, they put money into it and created The Nest, an esports and game design space in Chilton Media Library.

The varsity program took shape about six months ago when staff from the Division of Student Affairs and recreational sports attended an esports

English senior major Ruben Zamora recently wrote an essay entitled “How to Live in the Shadows,” describing his difficulties as an undocumented citizen in America.

Zamora is studying at UNT under the provisions of DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals).

Sara Carpenter

Daring to Dream: UNT student looks to defy the DACA deadline

By Xaviera Hernandez @xavierahndz Imagine living a life in which you are instructed to conceal your identity in of fear of being separated from the only life you have ever known.

A conversation as simple as where you were born could blow your cover — a cover which you learned to cling to, like a child

would cling to its mother. You could never dream of being your true self.

This might read like the intro to a chilling dystopian novel, but it is the reality for millions of undocumented immigrants who reside in the United States today. Out of those millions, around 800,000 of them have dared to dream of the light.

“I am a Dreamer, not because I came to

SEE DACA ON PAGE 5

event in Colorado.

“One thing led to another after they actually saw what esports was all about,” Wray said. “And not just the preconceived notion that it’s a bunch of people playing video games in a basement or something.”

The plan for the program is to compete in esports competitions and tournaments.

“Those four teams are going to kind of be the starter package, and we’re going to get [the National Association of Collegiate Esports] certified, so we’re going to join the 68 universities that are NACE certified,” Wray said.

The National Association of Collegiate Esports is the governing body of esports

in colleges, according to Wray. It sets basic guidelines that are similar to NCAA guidelines but are specifically for esports and ensures esport gameplay is fair.

“Being certified will open us up to other tournament circuits that we would [not] have access to before,” Wray said. “We’ll be playing in Tespa tournament series for a lot of our games, and we’re looking into possibly doing others but the other objective is to do one-shot events.”

Esports is different than video gaming in that esports has three central attributes, Wray said: ease of accessibility, enjoyment in watching and natural skill.

SEE ESPORTS ON PAGE 3

Mean Green football players sign with NFL

By Matthew Brune @mattbrune25 Late Saturday night, an hour or so after the final pick of the 2018 NFL Draft was announced, three North Texas football players agreed to terms with NFL teams as undrafted free agents.

Running back Jeffery Wilson signed with the San Francisco 49ers, safety Kishawn McClain signed with the Oakland Raiders and kicker Trevor Moore signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Wilson averaged 110.5 yards per carry in his senior season at North Texas and averaged 6.5 yards per carry on 188 carries in 11 games. He is going to a 49ers team with four running backs on the roster currently, none of which have over four years of NFL experience, and Jerick McKinnon appears to be the starter on paper. Wilson will compete for a spot on the roster in camp in the coming months.

While his size, speed and power are unquestioned, his ball security and health will be the main emphasis for him.

The second player to announce a deal with a team was McClain who

IN THIS ISSUE

signed with the Raiders. He led the Mean Green in tackles his sophomore and junior season, and he still led the team in solo tackles with 67 and had two interceptions in his senior season.

McClain’s tackling and pursuit are his two best attributes, but his size and ball skills will be his point of emphasis in camp.

Lastly, to tack on the extra point, Moore signed with the Buccaneers.

Moore was the most accomplished

kicker in school history and was one of the best extra point kickers in the country, going 154-for-154 in his career showing his mental fortitude. The NFL extra points are 32-yards out, but Moore was consistent in his field goals as well, going 20-of-22 in his senior season.

No other North Texas players were announced as signing with a team Saturday night, but these three will take on the NFL camps and represent the Mean Green football program.

North Texas safety Kishawn McClain (6) and cornerback Eric Jenkins (2) celebrate after forcing a fourth down against the University of Texas at San Antonio. Colin Mitchell

NEWS

ARTS & LIFE

SPORTS

OPINION

UNT introduces new Faculty Lecture Series spotlighting the College of Science pg 3 Mohammad A. Omary spoke at the first event of the series hosted on April 25. Omary highlighted his research on light-emitting technologies.

Sounds of a bird pg 5 Denton’s Mockingbird Sound Recording Studio celebrates two years of providing a creative space for local musicians.

Track and field aims to close out season with multiple podium finishes pg 7 Heading into the Conference USA Championships, the Mean Green look to bounce back from troubling indoor season with a big outdoor conference meet.

This & That: Vegetarianism pg 8 As the semester comes to an end, we leave you with the biggest debate of the year — to be a vegetarian or not to be a vegetarian. Choose your side and join in the discussion, all in this week’s This & That.

NEWS Page 2

North Texas Daily

THURSDAY, MAY 3, 2018

UNT commissions storm drain murals

Editorial Board

By Jacqueline Guerrero @gagaart1

Editor-in-Chief Kayleigh Bywater @kayleighbywater Kayleigh.Bywater@unt.edu

A UNT art contest from 2016 that intended to raise environmental awareness announced its three winners in March. A student painted the first of three murals planned to go on campus storm drains in mid-April as part of the Sustainability Storm Drain Artscape Design competition.

The artscapes are intended to be educational and raise awareness about the impact of littering and smoking on campus.

“There are ‘hot spots’ all around campus where cigarette butts and litter gathers,” Dean of Students Maureen McGuinness said. “Storm drains carry our runoff, untreated [water] directly to creeks that lead to the lakes that provide our water. Many people are not aware of the impact that they can have on water quality.”

Communication design freshman Chloe Trent painted the first contest mural on April 18 near Curry Hall on Mulberry Street and Avenue A. The competition chose three artists to paint three murals.

The university proposed the storm drain project in 2016, but it did not become a reality until spring 2018, McGuinness said. The other two murals are located by the Science Research Building and at Union Circle.

The goals of the project are to minimize litter and smoking on campus and to educate students about stormwater pollutants in a creative way.

Contestants submitted designs that corresponded to the theme and three artists were chosen to paint their designs on designated storm drains on campus.

The contest winners received $250 funded by the We Mean Green Fund.

Managing Editor Kayla Davis @kaylajeann19 KaylaDavis@my.unt.edu News Editor Sarah Sarder @sarderrr Sarah.Sarder@unt.edu Arts & Life Editor Alec Spicer @Spicer_Alec AlecSpicer@my.unt.edu Sports Editor Matthew Brune @mattbrune25 MatthewBrune@my.unt.edu Opinion Editor Nina Quatrino @ninaquatrino NinaQuatrino@my.unt.edu Visuals Editor Jake King @King_Jake1st JakeKing@my.unt.edu

Production Team Design Editor Kelly Fox @kellythefox1 KellyFox2@my.unt.edu Designer/Copy Editor Marshall Cearfoss @JustMarshalling MarshallCearfoss@my.unt.edu Designer/Copy Editor Kaitlin Pennell @k_itlinn KaitlinPennell@my.unt.edu Designer/Copy Editor Kiera Geils @KieraGeils KieraGeils@my.unt.edu Social Media Manager Kenli Gunter @kenliiiii KenliGunter@my.unt.edu Senior Staff Illustrator Austin Banzon @Austinbanzon99 austintroybanzon@my.unt.edu

Business Director Adam Reese 940-565-4265 Adam.Reese@unt.edu

Faculty Adviser Gary Ghioto 940-891-6722 Gary.Ghioto@unt.edu

To pitch a story or contact the Editor-in-Chief, please email northtexasdaily@gmail.com

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Trent heard about the contest in March 2018 during a conversation with a fellow Maple Student Housing intern.

“I thought it would be a great opportunity and a good way to get a message out through visual communication,” Trent said. “After unexpectedly winning on March 16, along with two other female artists, I knew it was time to work on my storm drain. I viewed the contest as a blessing.”

Trent’s artwork incorporates two octopi circling around the storm drain opening, similar to the Pisces symbol with two fish, she said. Yellow fish, jellyfish and seaweed are also in the piece, and the message of the mural is based around aquatic life and ecosystems.

“Whenever litter enters a storm drain, it can affect aquatic ecosystems negatively and can pollute our waters,” Trent said.

“Helping the environment inspires me.

It will cause people to question what they throw away and where they throw it away.

As humans, we need to remember that we only get one Earth, and we must treat it and its creatures with care.”

The drain murals have only been on campus for a short amount of time and have already caught some students’ eyes.

Visual arts and design junior Marisol Calixto said she thinks the drain murals are an amazing idea and can bring more awareness to the dangers litter can cause to our environment.

“I feel like [Trent] really understood the effects of the damage that garbage is being ignored in the streets,” Calixto said. “We seem to not care as much, but we start to notice it when we see animals die from our fault. This sends out a great message for us to start acting responsibly and [be] more aware of our surrounding, keeping this clean and start loving our planet.”

Top: A mural guarded by police tape is exhibited on a storm drain on Fry Street.

Bottom: Murals that encourage a more “green” lifestyle appeared on a storm drain facing the Union on Earth Day weekend. TJ Webb

Independent Bryce Goodman running against Fagan

By Devin Rardin @DevinRardin Bryce Goodman announced in a Facebook post on April 5 he is running as an independent for TX-26. Goodman is running against Democratic candidate Linsey Fagan to unseat Republican incumbent Michael Burgess.

“I believe in putting people before party and civil service before myself,” Goodman said.

Bryce Goodman “That’s what’s missing right now. Not just in the 16-year incumbent Michael Burgess we have in Washington but the entire ballot.”

Burgess, who used to work in medicine, has been in office since 2003. Fagan beat Will Fisher in the Texas primaries with a little over 50 percent of the vote. Now she faces another opponent who wants to give voters an additional choice on the ballot.

Goodman is the first person to run as an independent in TX-26 since Burgess took office.

“I beat five men in the primary,” Fagan said. “I’m the last one standing, so what’s another one.”

In summer 2017, Goodman said he looked at the TX-26 candidates and their platforms to see what he liked and did not like. He thought about running but shelved the idea, he said. He became involved in activism, participating in events surrounding the Deferred Action of Childhood Arrivals and the Confederate monument.

Friends encouraged him to run as a Democrat, which led him to look into campaign meetings for Democratic candidates. He said the party establishment was not the same as their public face.

“A lot of them are just seeking approval and trying to win no matter what,” Goodman said.

He decided to run as an independent.

Goodman said he wants to win, but for him, the most important aspect of running is making his policies known.

“I don’t have to win if my ideas get heard and people actually try to make them work,” Goodman said. “That would make a better America and I don’t have to be at the forefront for that to happen.”

Goodman, a gun owner himself, said there is misinformation on both sides of the gun debate. He used

the gun show loophole as an example saying the same rules apply at a gun show as on the street.

He is in favor of enhanced background checks and suggested getting guns vetted through the local police.

“Responsible gun owners can use and own firearms safely if they are properly vetted and have the right background checks,” Goodman said. “I think a local system of background checks is a much more powerful way of doing that and preventing things such as homicide, suicide or domestic violence.”

The independent candidate does not like a privatized military, is pro-marijuana reform and wants to bring in ideas from other countries.

“There is nothing wrong or weak about taking a tour of the world and seeing what legislation works in other countries and trying to enact it here,” Goodman said. “Not every country has it right, but countries individually have ideas that are worth something.”

Goodman said his campaign will illustrate how difficult it is for an independent candidate to run. To run, Republican and Democratic candidates have

to get 500 signatures in a year or pay the filing fee.

Independent candidates have to get 500 signatures in 75 days and cannot pay to get in.

“We should all have the same exact ability to pay our way in,” Goodman said.

“They say they’re not against competition but still change the rules for independents.”

The Denton County Democratic party chair, Angie Cadena, posted on Facebook to say Goodman cannot run since he attended the Democratic Party convention.

In response, Goodman said he did not participate in the convention and attended for educational purposes.

“He has been involved in a lot of the Democratic conventions and groups, so I think he is running in a little bit of a rebellion,” Fagan said.

Goodman said every Republican has encouraged him to run while Democrats try to stifle him from running. “[Democrats] are supposed to be the people’s party of choice and freedom, but if they are that threatened by someone else who is trying to help people, then that concerns me about what their true intentions are,” Goodman said.

Along with his campaign,

Goodman is looking for a job.

After graduating from UNT with a Bachelor’s in marketing and business administration, he worked at Motivity Capital, a private equity firm. He had various jobs following that and started a food cart company.

He is currently unemployed and interviewing for mortgage and financial advising companies.

“I think there are serious things wrong in this country and sometimes a little bit of poverty in your life can teach you much more than sitting there and watching TV,” Goodman said.

Political science freshman and incoming vice president for the UNT Democrats Shane Warren said there is no reason for Goodman to run.

“If you can’t either have a significant policy contrast or stand a much better shot at winning then it’s a fruitless run,” Warren said.

Fagan said she supports democracy and people should vote for Goodman if they agree with his platform.

“People have the right to run however they want to run,” Fagan said. “I think that he certainly seems to be a Democrat but if he wants to run independently then he has the right to do that.”

Construction on $100 million Frisco campus to begin in 2022 FRISCO CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 university next door, but now we are the global university available right outside your front porch,” Smatresk said. “We are excited about developing what comes next and look forward to working seamlessly with our partners in Collin College to ensure

that UNT graduates from our campus in Frisco are uniquely qualified to meet the evolving needs of a creative economy driven by education.”

The new branch campus will be about 10 miles away from the satellite campus in Frisco, which opened in Hall Park in 2016. That campus serves 1,200 students and an additional

400 students attend the Collin County Higher Education Center in McKinney.

Frisco is located in Collin County and is the secondfastest growing city in the nation. UNT has additional satellite locations in downtown Dallas, McKinney and Gainesville.

Frisco representatives will

develop a master plan for the initial phase of construction.

Ron Patterson, president of the Frisco Economic Development Corporation, said in a statement that this new partnership will help to attract “everything from Fortune 500 to startup businesses.”

“Many of our corporate prospects ask about research

for business development and continuing education opportunities for their employees,” Patterson said.

“This partnership creates more collaborative opportunities leading to new innovations and businesses, as well as business expansions and relocations which help bring high paying jobs to our community.”

NEWS AROUND THE US

By Devin Rardin

Denton’s Ethics Ordinance passed

Attorney fights Nazi claims

Trump’s former doctor raided

The Denton City Council voted unanimously to adopt an ethics ordinance, the first of its kind, on Tuesday, according to the Denton Record-Chronicle. The code addresses financial and fiduciary conflicts of interest and will be enforced by a sevenmember Board of Ethics. The ordinance has been in the works since Nov. 7, 2017.

Jason Lee Van Dyke, an attorney from Cross Roads, Texas, filed a $100 million lawsuit last month. It claimed persistent accusations that he was a member of white supremacist hate groups and caused him to lose two jobs, according to the Victoria Advocate. The suit was filed in Denton County against Arizona retiree Tom Retzlaff.

After Harold N. Bornstein, President Donald Trump’s former physician, gave Trump a drug to promote hair growth, Bornstein said two Trump aides staged a raid on his office, according to the New York Times. Bornstein said the aides removed Trump’s medical files from the Manhattan office in February 2017.

Mueller brings the possibility of a presidential subpoena

Boy Scouts changes its name

President Donald Trump’s lawyers told special counsel Robert S. Mueller III that he has no obligation to discuss Russia’s influence on the 2016 presidential campaign with federal investigators, according to The Washington Post. In response, Mueller said he could issue a subpoena for Trump to come before a grand jury.

The boy scouts program will become Scouts BSA in February 2019 after young women were permitted in the program, according to NPR. The Boy Scouts of America began allowing girls to become scouts last fall in response to Girl Scouts fighting for singlegender scouting. The rebranding runs along a new ad campaign, which is under the slogan “Scout Me In,” to appeal to boys and girls.

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THURSDAY, MAY 3, 2018

Morris, Pruneda get heated over higher education

By Lizzy Spangler @LizzySpangler About two dozen people attended the runoff debate between Texas House District 64 candidates Andrew Morris and Mat Pruneda from 4:30 to 6 p.m.

Saturday. Joseph Trinkle, the former news director for KNTU 88.1, moderated the debate hosted by Rantt Media and held at the Corinth Campus of North Central Texas College.

The debate, after opening remarks, began with a question about the primary results in which Pruneda finished with 42 percent of the vote, Morris with 39 percent and Matt Farmer, who dropped out, with 20 percent.

“So, a 40-40-20 split indicates one key issue, and that’s that both my opponent and I failed in our jobs as candidates,” Morris said. “When a candidate who drops out months before an election day polls 20 percent of the vote, that means that neither of us contacted the voters we needed in order to win.”

Pruneda said he was somewhat happy the primary results came out the way they did.

“I was the last one to enter the race,” Pruneda said. “We actually ran on a shoestring budget. We spent about half of what my opponent did. We were pretty much as grassroots as you could be ...

We should have gotten our butts handed to us and we didn’t and that tells me that what we did actually resonate with voters.”

Trinkle asked about what both candidates think should be the day one priorities of the Texas Democratic caucus.

Morris stressed the priorities of public education and bringing decorum and decency back to politics while Pruneda said his priority was the environment.

“I’m running on clean air and water because I believe that’s something that’s really important to people in this area,” Pruneda said.

The debate became heated multiple times, with the candidates exchanging rebuttals on questions involving rising

tuition costs in higher education and who would be the best candidate to push back against “mean-spirited legislation” such as SB 4 and SB 6.

“I have been unapologetically procivil rights from the beginning,” Pruneda said in response to the question about SB 4 and SB 6. “I have taken hard stances.

I don’t care what people say about me.”

In response to the question regarding pushing back against “mean-spirited legislation,” Morris spoke on ignoring distractions and resetting Austin’s priorities.

“It comes down to actually making sure that we are voting on the issues that affect each and every one of us, no matter what stage our life is,” Morris said. “We need to be talking about fixing school finance, fixing property taxes.”

Trinkle asked questions for about 45 minutes before opening up the floor to questions from the audience, questions which centered around public education and bringing people back into the Democratic Party.

The closing remarks came in the form of responses to an audience question: “I

Morris reacts to the Denton primary results and pushing against “mean-spirited” legislation.

Kelsey Shoemaker

New Faculty Lecture Series to highlight College of Science

By Zaira Perez @zairalperez The College of Science kicked off its new Faculty Lecture Series on April 25 with a lecture from chemistry, physics and mechanical engineering professor Mohammad A. Omary on applying light-emitting technology to real-world problems.

Omary’s presentation, “Chemistry: The Fun Science that Enables a World of Modern Apps,” focused on the advantages and disadvantages of using green energy with organic lightemitting diodes (OLEDs) used in modern Samsung and Apple products, potentially detecting and treating cancer with OLEDs and potentially using cheaper, more abundant materials such as copper to create these OLEDs. About 100 faculty and students attended the event, which was part of a series intended to highlight the work of the College of Science faculty and students.

It is meant to bring the UNT community together to discuss their advancements in math and science. College of Science Dean Su Gao said he wanted the lecture series to have a “TED Talk” feel with a question and answer session.

“UNT’s College of Science faculty are making great contributions to the global scientific community, and we want to honor and share our achievements with the

community,” Gao said in a news release. “[From this series,] attendees can expect great talks on significant scientific topics, reminding us that the university is where these important conversations should be happening in order to help guide the future of research and technology.”

The Faculty Lectures Series is meant to bring more awareness to the College of Science. Math and science subjects were classified under the College of Arts and Sciences until May 2017 when the College of Science was created.

Speakers volunteer to speak and are approved by Gao and Associate Dean Pamela Padilla, said College of Science Event and Marketing Coordinator Courtney McCreedy. They volunteer to speak, so they are not paid to present at the lecture series “outside of their current salaries,” McCreedy said.

McCreedy said the College of Science pays for costs such as renting a room, refreshments for a reception (if there is one) and marketing materials. She said because this was its first installment, the college is still working out a typical budget for the series.

Omary, the first speaker of the series, said he was thankful for being chosen by Gao and Padilla.

His work has focused on “the design of molecular metal-organic materials for energy-related and biomedical applications based on advances in

fundamental sciences,” according to the College of Science.

“I am excited about sharing some fun, rewarding stories from the multi-faceted projects my research team has been investigating as it evolved since I joined UNT back in 2001, starting with novel scientific phenomena that have enabled a plethora of modern technological and biomedical applications,” Omary said.

Some of Omary’s research involves phosphorescent materials which absorb energy from a source like the sun and release that energy slowly over a period of time.

The research and experiments presented were conducted by Omary and his students and colleagues.

“As Omary said, chemistry is everywhere, so you can see how all the grounds of chemistry can work to solve one problem,” said compositional chemistry graduate student Enrique Vazquez.

Inorganic chemistry graduate student Megan Ericson said she thinks the lecture series is a great way for UNT students to see what different departments are doing. “[At this event] I got to learn more about other research going on in my group that I’m not involved in,” Ericson said.

The next speaker for the series will be biology professor Dr. Aaron Roberts on Sept. 26, McCreedy said.

don’t want you to bad mouth each other, but why would we vote for you instead of your opponent?”

“It’s a challenging question because we both stand for pretty much the same things,” Morris said. “It’s going to come down to approaches, having someone with the right temperament, the right policy ideas with the right ability to get things done in Austin.”

Pruneda answered the question by talking about his strengths.

“Out of the two of us, I’m the only one with negotiating experience,” Pruneda

said. “Beyond that, I don’t have some theoretical approach or theoretical background with regards to law and legal requirements.”

Rockwall citizen Michael O’Connor said he enjoyed the debate even though he can’t vote in this race due to his residence.

“We just came down to see the debate,” he said. “It was more lively than I thought it was going to be.”

Early voting for the primary runoff election will occur May 14 to 18 and the runoff election will take place May 22.

Pruneda discusses his idea on solving Denton homelessness. Kelsey Shoemaker

How UNT could exercise eminent domain for properties along Avenue C

By Sean Riedel @SeanRiedel Lining Avenue C and heading south toward Interstate 35E are a string of businesses on each side of the street — including New York Sub Hub, Campus Bookstore and Dollar General — but in the coming years it could all become a part of the growing UNT campus.

According to UNT’s 2013 Master Plan, the university intends to use the property along this stretch of Avenue C to expand and specifically to create a grand entrance to the university.

However, the university does not yet own all of the required land for the intended expansions. The university can offer these businesses a sum of money to purchase their land and compensate them for relocating, but the businesses can refuse.

“We were first approached, along with many businesses down Avenue C, about three and a half years ago,” Hunter Christiansen, owner of New York Sub Hub, said in an email.

“I have spoken to multiple business owners in the exact same situation as us. None of us want to sell. We have all thrived where we are located for a number of years and, if it were up to us, we would choose not to sell unless it was under our terms.”

According to Title 8, chapter 251 of the Texas Local Government Code, “when the governing body of a municipality

considers it necessary, the municipality may exercise the right of eminent domain for a public use to acquire public or private property, whether located inside or outside the municipality.”

Additionally, Chapter 11 of the UNT System Regents Rules states “the Board has the exclusive authority to exercise the power of eminent domain to acquire real property for the System.”

The last time the UNT System Board of Regents authorized the use of eminent domain was in August 2017. This was when the board authorized the chancellor or his designee to acquire the properties at the entrance to the university along North Texas Boulevard and I-35E, where there is an IHOP and land where a McDonald’s restaurant was located, according to UNT’s Director of Integrated Communications Julie Payne.

Payne said the university remains in ongoing negotiations with the property owners.

Christiansen said he has looked into his options to keep his business.

“We spoke with lawyers after receiving UNT’s original letter,” Christiansen said. “From what we gathered, if UNT used eminent domain on our family business of 39 years, then we have zero power or influence to let us stay there.”

Christiansen said that based on the 2013 Master Plan, his business would be eligible to be seized using eminent domain in about 20 years.

“We have a perfect location with UNT and their students while still convenient enough for everyone else that lives in Denton,” Christiansen said. “To think that after all these years in business that we can just be pushed out by a university after all our hard work really doesn’t seem right.”

Brent Erskin, who owns the Campus Bookstore, also received a letter from the university expressing interest in his property.

“At this point there’s been no money offered, besides their initial [letter],” Erskin said. “I’m not opposed to it. I’m not going to keep [it] just because the university wants it. In fact, I’d rather see it go to the university to see it continue to thrive.”

Erskin also owns the Voertman’s bookstore property on Hickory Street.

UNT President Neal Smatresk clarified what the master plan exemplifies in an email.

“Our university continues to look for innovative ways to meet the educational needs of our students and future students, and that means ensuring we have adequate, topquality teaching and research space to fulfill our mission,” Smatresk said. “The university’s master plan is a future-looking document that shows how we might develop into an even stronger institution to better serve our community while meeting the needs of Texas in serving an ever-growing student population.”

UNT varsity esports teams hold tryouts in anticipation of fall 2018 competitions ESPORTS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Students playing Overwatch try out for the varsity esports team Sunday afternoon. Kathryn Jennings

Sam Sanchez and Will Simpson focus on playing the game Overwatch Sunday afternoon during the varisty esports tryouts. Kathryn Jennings

“It’s a couple different things,” Wray said about what makes a person a good esports player. “For me, what I like to identify in people are balanced people in stressful situations — the people that are able to remain positive under stressful situations are certainly the people that are really, really good players. I think IQ plays a lot into it, you know if you have solid reflexes and a decent IQ, you can tackle a lot of games.”

Computer science freshman Joseph Fergen tried out for both the Overwatch and League of Legends esports teams.

“I’ve been playing video games since I was really young, so I kind of just got into [esports] early,” Fergen said. “I’ve played regular sports too and I’m just a really competitive person, so this kind of just flows really nicely.”

Information systems freshman Dallin Russell tried out for the Overwatch team because he said he ranked #300 in America in 2016 and wanted to bring that to the university.

“Literally anyone can do it,” Russell said in terms of what he liked about esports. “Literally people from the most able-bodied to someone with extreme disabilities — it’s literally open to anyone.”

ARTS & LIFE Page 4

THURSDAY, MAY 3, 2018

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The library is open: Hip Hop Book Club

By Bria Graves @callmeBREE_

What started out as a barbershop conversation between friends in a group chat has transformed into a one-of-a-kind discussion that has yet to be heard in a public setting.

When you hear the term “Hip Hop Book Club,” one would imagine a group of people sitting around discussing books pertaining to all things hip-hop, but there is more than meets the ears for this Dallasbased club.

UNT alumni Sobechi Ibekwe, Attah Essien, Terrance Lee and Kenny Reeves started the Hip Hop Book Club with hopes of creating a new discussion about one of the most well-known music genres.

Entering in its second season, the club dissects popular hip-hop albums with audience members by asking thoughtprovoking questions one may not think to ask while shuffling through their favorite playlists.

After just one year since its inception, the show has reached UNT’s campus twice and booked multiple shows outside of Texas. With a few other similar book clubs popping up, the Dallas version of the Hip Hop Book Club remains the original.

“We expected it to get to this point, but not this fast,” Essien said.

The club often serves as an opportunity to fight the sometimes negative misconception surrounding hip-hop in the

media.

“Hip-hop has such a negative stigma behind it,” Ibekwe said. “A lot of people don’t do their due diligence to dive deep into the music.”

This week’s show featured trap artist 2 Chainz’s album “Pretty Girls Like Trap Music.”

The club always begins with DJ ill.

Tommie spinning popular tracks he has been featured on while the audience mingles until the show begins. Often times, the show starts with introducing every member of its team, from the DJ to the photographer, and gives the audience a rundown on how the show works.

Influence, lyrics, production and visuals are the four pillars used to lead conversations about the featured album of the night is, and each member of the club is assigned a pillar.

Lee handles the visual pillar, which focuses on the art and film inspired by the artist. This section dived deep into the trap music influence, as well as the pink “trap house” 2 Chainz showcased for visitors in Atlanta.

The third pillar, production, is moderated by Essien and discusses the sound influences the art.

The final pillar, lyrics, is facilitated by Ibekwe and gives the audience a chance to share their favorite lyrics from album and what they mean to them. There were motivational bars, charismatic bars and fun bars mentioned during this time, each

Andrew Forest, center, wins a painting rendition of rapper 2 Chainz by correctly answering the question, “What university did 2 Chainz play what sport for?” at the Hip Hop Book Club meeting on April 30. Josh Jamison one showing how music can play a part of individual’s life.

UNT alumnus Kam Willard is a regular at Hip Hop Book Club and has been inspired by the organization’s discussions.

“I’m a fan of open forum and having the ability to dissect and dive deep into hip-hop,” Willard said. “They do a good job of having people discuss things without getting into it over [differences of] opinion.”

The group welcomes both hip-hop enthusiasts and anyone who appreciates

hip-hop music and realizes the genre is a form of art. Writing lyrics, making beats and creating platforms as part of the album-making process is a creative endeavor for many.

“Hip-hop is a part of my life, whether the artist is super lyrical or not,” Reeves said.

The club hopes to plan an international tour, and the founders remain optimistic and ready for what the future may bring.

“Right now we’re just prepping for the next level,” Reeves said.

In the end, Hip Hop Book Club always aims to bring people of different genders, races, upbringings and religions together under one roof and talk about music and artists they love — and maybe even dislike.

“We want to see hip-hop as not being so controversial one day and [to] teach people to always be [themselves],” Lee said.

Hip-Hop Book Club will discuss the Notorious B.I.G “Ready To Die” album at its next meeting on May 21.

Mockingbird Sound Recording Studio is no sophomore slump

By Anna Orr @AnnaMOrr97 Guitars, drums, pianos and even tambourines line the wall as everything has its place in organized chaos — a musician’s dream.

Mockingbird Sound Recording Studio found itself at home in Denton just two years ago.

Some of the minds behind the studio are sounds engineers Alex Hastings, Kelly Upshaw and Jason Rochester.

“We’ve all been musicians in Denton for a long time,” Rochester said.

“When we started, we made it in the idea that it was going to be geared towards local musicians and affordable.”

Though they just passed the two year mark of running Mockingbird, the three are no strangers to the music scene in Denton.

All three have been playing in bands most of their lives and are each in a variety of bands both together and separately such as The Hope Chest, Diesel Beat, The Demigs and the Fresh Ghost.

“The spirit of this place is that we are all in this together and we are going to benefit mutually together and work hard together,” Upshaw said.

In 2015, Mockingbird Sound Recording Studio was just an idea.

Hasting’s band, The Demigs, formerly recorded in Shady Lane studio.

Rochester said the studio was a fun place to practice and was utilized for

From left tor right, sound engineers Jason Rochester, Kelly Upshaw and Alex Hastings hang out in one of the recording rooms at Mockingbird Sound Recording Studio. The studio opened in Denton in 2016 and has quickly gained a large clientele of local artists. Paige Bruneman

as long as it could be, but they soon knew it was time to move locations to a more professional studio.

“It was a building that had been built inside of another building,” Rochester said. “It was like one big bay, and they built a studio inside of it. It was nice, but it was more so a garage than a commercial recording studio.”

In June 2015, Matthew Morin, the drummer of the Demigs, found an accessible space that accommodated their visions. Morin owned the property of the area that would soon be converted into Mockingbird Sound Recording Studio.

After months of rebuilding, they were ready to move in May 2015.

But it wasn’t until March 2016 that Mockingbird Studio opened to the public. Hastings said they took their time adjusting to the space while gathering and moving equipment into their new studio.

“It was an opportunity to come together and do more than we could’ve done on our own,” Upshaw said. “There were mixed emotions too, I remember feeling some apprehension among us when I broached the idea of an equal partnership.”

In March 2016, the music festival 35 Denton gave Mockingbird its first spotlight. The festival sponsored them by letting artists come into the studio which resulted in 16 different artists ranging from a young kids band to rap.

The festival also gave the studio an opportunity to record artists of various genres while gaining more public visibility. Rochester said that because of the rich music culture in Denton, finding clients has not been a problem.

One of those clients is folk singer Blake Vaughn. He recorded his debut album, “I cannot relate to a thing but the wind,” at the studio. While Vaughn is primarily a solo artist, he embraced Upshaw on drums and Hastings on guitar for several songs.

“Alex came to a show of mine at Midway Craft House,” Vaughn said. “He was a friend of a friend, [so] he introduced himself at that show.”

The album was eventually recorded live without much editing.

Hastings said Vaughn is dynamic in his performance and often improvises while recording to change the music up.

“It would feel inauthentic to me to break it down and try to perfect it,” Hastings said. “I feel that if we did that we would lose what makes Blake great.”

Though Vaughn remains modest of his own work, he isn’t hesitant to mention Hasting’s role in helping create his debut album.

“I feel like more of an author than a musician — the music just works to support the words,” Vaughn said. “Bands are more of a sound thing and not really a story thing. He did what he needed to do to capture the feeling and it’s not drenched in post-production.”

Catch up or get ahead.

Enroll for summer term.

Summer I begins June 5 Summer II begins July 10

The Big Beat On top of being musicians with lengthy pedigrees, Rochester, Hastings and Upshaw are all seasoned sound engineers. They’ve been in multiple bands, recording studios and also work at their performance venue, Big Beat.

Upshaw is the production manager of Big Beat in Irving, Texas at the Toyota music factory where he designed and installed all the systems for the venue.

Compared to some of the fast-paced workings of the music business, Upshaw said working in the studio can be quiet, focused and free from distraction.

“It’s stressful sometimes, but even the worst days and dealing with the worst artists if better than having to go out and work for somebody else,” Rochester said.

The future of the studio is ever changing. Hastings said that while they would enjoy upgrading, they wouldn’t be upset staying in the space they have now.

“We would love to eventually build a new studio — a bigger place,” Hastings said. “We love it here, and just to build and sustain, have the place in five years and be recording music that we like? Fantastic.”

Upshaw said that no matter what the job entails, he gets to do what he loves in a studio he is satisfied with.

“Even a really bad day in the studio is better than a good day doing something else,” Upshaw said. “There’s definitely a sense of gratitude when we get to come to work and do something that we love.”

Rochester graduated from UNT in 2010 with a degree in music theory with a concentration in trumpet and music history. Upshaw graduated in 2004, majoring in philosophy, history and English literature. Hastings attended UNT for radio, television and film but decided he preferred pursing music in his own way.

“I felt like if I had to do music for school it would lose its magic,” Hastings said. “Not the knowledge, but I’m not a very competitive person, and I wouldn’t thrive in that atmosphere.”

Rochester said the education he received has helped him in his job today and has found satisfaction in choosing music over engineering.

“Being at UNT, you better like music,” Rochester said. “You can’t just halfway like it.”

Upshaw, Hastings and Rochester said they are excited to keep working with up and coming North Texas artists to help them discover the sound they are satisfied with.

“Some people will go to studios to find a certain sound,” Hastings said.

“I feel like here we are focused on finding what the artist wants to do and try to present that authentically in a comfortable atmosphere.”

NTDAILY.COM

THURSDAY, MAY 3, 2018

Page 5

English senior Ruben Zamora explores the struggles of being a DACA recipient in his essay “How to Live in the Shadows.”

Sara Carpenter

Ruben Zamora’s American dream DACA CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

this country illegally as a young child, but because I am an American, and ‘America’ and ‘dreams’ go hand-in-hand,” wrote Ruben Zamora, recipient of the Outstanding Undergraduate Student in English Award, in his essay entitled “How to Live in the Shadows.”

These Dreamers, who have only ever known the United States as home, now put themselves at risk daily by venturing out of the shadows in search of an opportunity to stay.

Zamora was 7 years old when he was brought into the U.S. This was a decision he didn’t make — a situation he never asked for — that labeled him from a young age: “illegal immigrant,” in his own words.

Circumstances such as these fostered a surge in isolated immigrant youth — a youth that feigned their assimilation into American culture in their schools for survival — a youth that spoke Spanish in hushed tones behind closed doors and translated his parents’ fatigued accents into apologetic English — a youth that held their tongues in fear of slipping.

Such sentiments are found in a poem Zamora wrote, the last line of which is “above all, tell no one.”

When Zamora turned 16, he was informed his life could change drastically with the creation of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program (DACA). He now had the ability to change the chain of events he was bound to before.

Chains act as a metaphor for Zamora. On each of his wrists, he has a tattoo of chains. He drew the idea from the video game “BioShock.”

Within the video game, players believe they are in charge of their own narrative — they are led under the impression that each decision they make is their own. In actuality, they are following decisions that were laid out for their character previously.

The main character in the game possesses chains that represent not being in control of his own destiny. But, for Zamora, the chains serve as a reminder of the exact opposite. “[The game is] about fate and not really having control over that fate, and I reject that notion,” Zamora said. “So [the tattoos] are just kind of a reminder that you are in control of your own destiny and you’re the one who’s writing your stories.”

In his essay, Zamora described the possibility of deportation to be a fear that plagued his life incessantly “constantly in the back of [his] mind,” he wrote, “pushing itself to the forefront of [his] thoughts at all times, dictating and guiding [his] every action.”

But everything changed one seemingly inconsequential day his sophomore year of high school. After lengthy visits with an immigration lawyer and “with a piece of paper and a few swift strokes of a pen,” he finally felt American, he wrote.

Now, Zamora has the freedom to pursue higher education at UNT, where he will be graduating from this May with a bachelor’s degree in English with a concentration in writing and rhetoric and a minor in Spanish.

Mathew M. Heard, one of Zamora’s professors, said Zamora “is an honest, reflective and artistically brilliant student,” whose skills as a writer “are well worth the high praise” in a letter.

Heard teaches Zamora in a course dedicated to examining the rhetoric of “strangers” and “alterity,” or, rather, the state of “otherness.”

This past fall, Heard assigned an essay that would function as a response to the class, in which Zamora wrote of his experiences as a Dreamer and how his life was shaped by a constant fear of being deported.

“Against the course topic, which asks students to write about rhetoric as a responsibility to ‘the other,’ Zamora turned the topic around and wrote

about his own experiences being an ‘other’ in the shadows of American immigration policy,” Heard said in a letter.

Zamora’s essay, “How to Live in the Shadows,” was so powerful it moved Heard to tears. “[It] truly changed [my] perspective,” Heard wrote. “One of the most daring and honest pieces of student writing [I have] ever read.”

In the essay, Zamora spoke of the many issues Dreamers face, from personal safety to the experiences of others.

Heard wrote that Zamora was able to “cut into the dynamics of survival and safety for him and other Dreamers.”

“We read a Judith Butler article where she talked about vulnerability and how when people come into the streets to march, they express that vulnerability because they’re saying, ‘Here we are, and here are our demands,’” Zamora said. “I took that same concept [of vulnerability] and applied it to what the Dreamers did. We told the government, ‘Here we are.’”

Zamora’s exemplary writing is not the only remarkable thing about him, however.

During the presentation of awards, Sigma Tau Delta Faculty CoAdvisor Jeffrey Doty introduced Zamora as an active member in Sigma Tau Delta who has worked on the North Texas Review and has been nominated for writing awards several times.

Doty remarked that, though Zamora planned on entering law school directly after the completion of his undergraduate studies, the unreliability of a definite future in the DACA program has “thrown Zamora’s plans into uncertainty” but hopes the oppotunity to continue his studies will remain.

When Zamora was younger, he allowed himself to be influenced by society’s social stigma against undocumented persons.

“I saw myself as ‘illegal,’” Zamora reflected in his essay. “Imagine living your life labeled ‘illegal.’”

The negative connotation of such a word followed him around until he found himself finally free to be more than the lack of official documentation — he is now a Dreamer.

Though the current administration attempts to repeal DACA, every Dreamer continues to hold up a light. No longer will they shrink into the shadows because their light is not only for themselves, but for their families and their futures as well.

If the DACA program is successfully rescinded, Zamora will have a deadline on his presence here in the United States — a running clock dictating when he is to leave all that he has ever known. Yet, every day that counts down to the closure of his DACA status, Zamora maintains hope.

Zamora found as long as there was hope inside of him, nobody could turn his dream into a nightmare. Through the power of words, he was able to come to terms with the fact that dreamers are defined by more than just their status and more than just the number of days they have left.

Zamora signs off with a thought-provoking observation: “I have since realized that people cannot be illegal, human beings cannot, by their very existence, for simply trying to improve their life – the very foundation of this country – break the law, yet here I was. Here we are, rather, as there are almost 790,000 of us, the so-called Dreamers. An interesting word choice, yet it evokes all that America stands for: a dream. A dream that a free country could exist, a dream where people of all walks of life and all colors and faiths and genders can co-exist and prosper.”

Zamora sturggles with the thought of possibly being rejected by a country he feels he has contributed so much to.

“I worked in construction for three years, I’ve built schools,” Zamora said. “I mean, who else could say that?”

However, this doesn’t stop him from setting the best example he can for his two younger brothers. He described the goal of an immigrant parent as a process of bettering their family’s lives and sees himself as a part of that process.

“It’s really about just helping the next generation try and be better [and] do better,” Zamora said.

DoseofSemaj brings natural juice to Denton

By Sadia Saeed @sadiasaeed97 Ginger, lemon and pineapple.

Those three simple ingredients do not make an after-workout snack — it makes a juice. Along with those ingredients, the words “100 percent natural juice” stand out on the bottle, and it even has its own name — Sunflower. Simple inside and outside, DoseofSemaj Juice has nothing to hide.

Launched two months ago, this business venture is just the beginning, and it all started with a juicer.

“My mom stays on her feet for a living, so she has really bad back problems,” said Zariah Hunter, the founder of DoseofSemaj. “The doctors would put her on a lot of medication, and we tried to figure out a natural way to heal her pain.

I went and bought a juicer over winter break, and we started to look up different ingredients for inflammation. It helped so that after I got back from winter break, I bought myself a juicer.”

Having already bought the name before, Hunter decided to settle her juice business under the umbrella DoseofSemaj Juice.

“DoseofSemaj is my brand as a whole, but DoseofSemaj Juice is something I

branched off and did,” Hunter said. “My niche is really fashion, but [DoseofSemaj Juice] is just something that flourished.”

DoseofSemaj itself is an extension of Hunter’s own personality and persona. As a free-spirited merchandising and digital retailing student, Hunter does not want to corner herself into one niche — rather, she embraces all sides of herself.

“DoseofSemaj means you get a dose of things I like,” Hunter said.

The juice side of her brand launched on Feb. 3 with a single tweet that has now already reached 23,430 people.

Hunter’s mom said the success is due to her daughter’s passion and the Denton student community.

“It is all by word of mouth,” Hunter’s mom Khalilah Hunter said. “That word reaches Twitter and Instagram.”

Balancing work, school and her business can be a hassle, but having people around to aide her is Hunter’s recipe for success.

Along with her mother, her friend Tasha Battle, an accounting student, has been DoseofSemaj Juice’s brand ambassador since it began.

Every Tuesday and Thursday, Battle will sell the juices on campus, introduce students to the juice life and promote

DoseofSemaj Juice, helping Hunter move products faster.

“I truly am proud to call Zariah a friend and to be there to see her create and cultivate her brand,” Battle said. “She is more than a juice brand — she has so many talents that will make her very successful.

I plan on seeing her go far, and I’m glad I’m there to see it happen. It’s also an amazing brand made by a college student to help other students.”

The success of the business, which was initially a side endeavor, has Hunter contemplating on expansion. DoseofSemaj already serves the Houston, Denton and Dallas areas, but Hunter’s end goal is to get the product in stores.

Partnering with local businesses, such as Scrumpdiliumptious to cater at their Scrump Day, has also given Hunter the opportunity to meet new faces and discover the student body.

“I knew this would be a success when she sold out on the first day,” Khalilah said.

“This is her baby, and I can’t wait when it’s in H.E.B and grocery stores.”

This natural juice made with simple ingredients is meant to entice customers and perhaps help the UNT student body eat healthier.

UNT student Zariah Hunter operates her own local, 100 percent natural juice business in Denton. Omar Gonzalez

“I’ve loved the response,” Hunter said. “I can cater to the students. If I can provide a juice for them versus them eating hot chips and Gatorade, why not?”

Battle agrees with Hunter.

“It’s made by a beautiful black woman who is passionate about people and their health,” Battle said. “She takes the time to make healthy juices that not only taste good, but will impact her customers’ health in a positive way.”

From initially ordering 30 bottles to fill to now ordering 300 bottles, Hunter hopes the juice continues to grow. Although it was a steep learning curve at first, Hunter

has used the advice of close relatives and friends to learn and grow with the business itself.

Her Sunflower, Applezee, Greenie and Enthusiasm juices are just the start as Hunter plans to expand in the future while still continuing her goal to provide deliciously healthy food alternatives. Each bottle of juice is made with less than five ingredients and is 100 percent natural with no additives or flavors.

“When it says cucumber, that’s a real cucumber,” Hunter said. “When it says apple, it’s a real apple — not apple puree.”

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Sophomore pole vaulter raises the bar

By Simreen Kheraj @ Simreenkheraj Bailey Ashmore has been setting the bar higher and higher for pole vaulting both in competitions and for herself. The sophomore pole vaulter began her career in middle school and has stuck with the sport she loves ever since.

On March 17, she broke the North Texas women’s pole vaulting record with a vault of 3.96 meters (12 feet 11.75 inches,), but it was still not enough for her.

“By the end of college, I really would like to get to 14 feet,” Ashmore said. “When I first broke the record, it was at 12 feet 11.75 inches.”

Ashmore is not afraid to raise standards for herself as it has allowed her to surpass everything she thought she was capable of entering the sport in middle school.

Derek Mackel, the pole vaulting and jumping coach, recruited the pole vaulter from high school.

He believed Ashmore had the technique and hunger to provide exactly what Mackel wanted from his pole vaulters. A few years later, she has blossomed into a better athlete than he ever expected.

“Last year she jumped 3.86 meters, just about four inches under the school record at the time,” Mackel said. “She made an attempt at the 3.96 meter bar but was unsuccessful at it. I thought it was totally possible for her to do it. I think with a little bit more hard work and maybe some change in her pole selection, she’ll be able to get over the 4.05 pretty easily, so she just needs to stay focused and get it done.”

A few days later she got it done.

At the Bobcat Classic on April 27 in San Marcos, Ashmore set a new school record of 4.05 meters (13.28 feet), bringing her closer to her goal of 4.27 meters (14 feet).

Ashmore is not only impressive on the track, but she also excels in the classroom. The sophomore student athlete is currently

majoring in material engineering which fills a majority of her time outside of track.

“I have a lot of homework and a lot of reading, so it’s super difficult to keep up with all of them, but I’ve done pretty well so far,” Ashmore said. “You’ve got to keep the grades, and you’ve got to still run well, lift well and jump high. You need to have results in the classroom and on the track.

That’s a lot of pressure, but I’ve done okay. I’m just going to keep doing what I’m doing.”

Her eagerness to learn and ability to be a disciplined student translates to her hunger and ambition on North Texas as a pole

vaulter. Ashmore trains with her coaches to improve herself as an athlete and dedicates her time to excel in pole vaulting in an effort to improve on her passion.

“I think she’s a well rounded student athlete,” head track and field coach Carl Sheffield said. “She does extremely well inside the classroom, as well as on the track. I think every year she becomes more of a student in her event, so the more she understands it, the more she can apply herself. She’s a very driven person. The more she learns about her event, the more prepared she is to compete at a very high level.”

Ashmore displays her drive

by staying in the weight room after practice has concluded to do extra pull ups, squats, curls and anything else necessary to improve.

“I keep her focused on small things at first so she’s not overwhelmed by the big picture, but at the same time we have to keep the big picture in mind,” Mackel said. “If she can keep the fire lit, she can take it as far as she wants to go. She has got to keep the fire from within lit and burning hot.”

If anything, that flame is growing as Ashmore continues to light up leaderboards in every meet the Mean Green compete

in, and she continues to strive to break every record she has ever set.

After this year, Ashmore has two years left to reach that coveted 14 feet. In the mean time, she has found her home away from home with the North Texas track team.

As she strives to be the best, she continues to focus on the bigger picture in her track career, but she appreciates how far she has come since those years in middle school when she first picked up a pole and began sprinting at the bar.

“I just want to do my best everyday, and I know that is going to help me in the long run,”

Left: Bailey Ashmore prepares to vault into the mat during Monday’s track and field practice at Fouts Field. Ashmore broke UNT records as a sophomore.

Right: Ashmore vaults into the mat during Monday’s track and field practice at Fouts Field.

Photos by Paige Bruneman Ashmore said. “Being a collegiate athlete, I’m super proud of that.

It’s been a long road, but I think this is a great achievement being I’m here.”

Left: Freshman pitcher Hope Trautwein pitches a ball against Florida International University during a doubleheader. The Mean Green lost both games, 6-0 and 8-3.

Right: Junior infielder Rhylie Makawe tries to slide into 2nd base during a doubleheader against Florida International University.

Photos by Rachel Walters

Mean Green regaining momentum going into tournament

By Luis Diosdado @luis_diosdado9 On Feb. 9, a fresh North Texas softball team consisting of 12 underclassmen stepped onto the field in Monroe, Louisiana and lost back to back games, starting off 0-2. Nearly three months later, a 24-24, 10-10 record does not show how far head coach Tracey Kee and her young bunch have come since that opening weekend.

With one final weekend series left before the Conference USA tournament, the Mean Green have the potential to finish the season with a record above .500 for the first time the 2013-2014 team went 31-22.

It is no secret that perhaps the biggest surprise of this season has been the team’s ability to hit home runs. During their 2-0 victory over Southern Mississippi

this past Sunday, the Mean Green hit their 53rd team home run, setting a program record for the most in a single season.

“If anyone would have told me at the beginning of the season that we would hit this many home runs, I wouldn’t have believed it,” Kee said. “But I think that just shows how hard our kids have been working on the offensive side.”

But as mentioned throughout the season, home runs always come second to getting bunts down when it comes to Kee. Not only does North Texas lead C-USA in home runs, but they are also second in sacrifice hits with 58.

Sophomore outfielder Katie Clark views that as an important factor to winning games.

“It definitely has been extremely beneficial to us,” Clark said. “It’s just the game

of softball. We’ve executed the small ball game style, and it has worked out well for us.”

Clark has undoubtedly been the spark of the offense. The first year transfer leads North Texas in batting average (.385), hits (57), runs (37) and stolen bases (17). Her five home runs is also good for fourth best on the team and is currently riding a 20-game streak of reaching base safely.

But even as hot as Clark has been, the rest of the offense has had a tough time against opposing pitchers recently. The Mean Green have lost seven of their last nine games heading into the final games of the season, and the lack of offense has played a big a role in that.

“We need to turn around mindset,” Clark said. “Once you get into a slump, it’s hard to get out of it, but it’s just something we need to do so we can get back

to where we were a couple of weeks ago.”

Luckily for Kee, she’s had a little help on the defensive side.

With three freshman pitchers starting the season, Kee knew it was going to take time for them to adjust. However, she has been fairly impressed with the improvement that has been made throughout the entire pitching staff.

“It has definitely gotten better,” Kee said. “A large part of that just came with the experience and getting on the mound more.”

Freshman pitcher Hope Trautwein has led that charge and emerged as one of the top pitchers in the conference. Her 2.58 earned run average is the lowest on the team, and she currently sits in third place in C-USA in strikeouts with 152, inching closer to Ashley Kirk’s record of the most strikeouts by

a North Texas freshman pitcher (158).

Even Trautwein has seen herself and her teammates grow as the year goes on.

“I think we all now know that every single pitch has a purpose now,” Trautwein said. “We’re always trying to beat the batter every single pitch. Our mindset has developed so much further than we ever thought it could going into the season.”

Trautwein headlines the class of 2021 and demonstrates the patience Kee’s underclassmen have taken in for them to get to the level of play they are at now.

“My confidence is through the roof with this group,” Kee said. “I think sometimes they fail to see the positives in things, and they understand they have to continue to work their weaknesses, but this has been a special group. I think they have overachieved and

really shocked some people in conference.”

“Shocked” seems to be a pretty accurate word when it came to the team’s hot start to conference play before they got on their losing skid. The Mean Green started off with a strong showing by sweeping the current C-USA leaders, Louisiana Tech. Not long after, they took two games from second place team Florida Atlantic University.

Now, they head into the postseason with looking to regain that form they showed early in the C-USA season and it will only help them going into 2019.

“There were zero expectations for us heading into the season,” Kee said. “I know for a fact we have caught the attention of people in conference. To me, I think if this team can continue to work, the upside will be huge in the future.”

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THURSDAY, MAY 3, 2018

Junior Javier Lopez-Ibarra throws a javelin at a track meet at the TCU Invitational March 17 in Fort Worth. File

Senior Mike Lowe (4) and sophomore Florian Lussy (8) run in a distance event at the TCU Invitational March 17 in Fort Worth. File

Mean Green eager to rebound from indoor season

By Matthew Berger @Bergersthoughts The North Texas track and field team finished its regular season with an impressive display at the Bobcat Classic in San Marcos over the weekend of April 27 and 28. The meet was the final tuneup for the team before heading to Rice University for the Conference USA Outdoor Championships May 11-13.

The Mean Green had a rocky indoor season earlier in 2018 but has had a huge turnaround during the outdoor portion of the schedule. Several key members of the track and field team have upped their games during the outdoor season, and after dominating last weekend in San Marcos, the Mean Green look ready to turn heads in the conference championships.

Head coach Carl Sheffield is entering his seventh conference tournament as head coach of the Mean Green track and field team and knows what it will take for both the men’s and women’s team to place.

The Mean Green have 30 people inside the top 10 of their events in the conference, hoping to bring home a podium placement.

“We have such a young team overall that I think if we continue to do what we have been doing, not over simplify and continue to improve, we will be OK,” Sheffield said. “I think for them to try and step up to another level from what they have been doing over the last couple of weeks will be mentally and physically draining.”

Freshmen like Haley Walker and Amber Walker have made huge strides to finish the year and are looking to make their marks in their respective events.

Haley is heading into the tournament one meet after finishing first in the discus throw with a personal best 49.29 meter throw. It was the second-best discus throw in school history. She also finished second in the shot put throw as well, with a distance of 14.14 meters.

Amber finished fifth in high jumps with a leap of 1.65 meters.

Despite having a young team, the upperclassmen head into the tournament with high expectations and confidence for the team after their showing in San Marcos last weekend.

Senior Dominique Drayden finished third in the long jump with a jump of 7.12 meters and a fourth-place finish in the triple jump with a distance of 14.46

meters.

After having a solid weekend at San Marcos, Drayden is confident going into his last conference tournament as a member of the Mean Green.

“I still jumped pretty good last week despite not having my legs all the way under me,” Drayden said. “But I feel pretty confident and pretty good heading into the tournament.”

Drayden is currently ranked No. 9 in the conference in long jump with a distance 7.23 meters. In order to place his spot on the podium, Drayden will need to set a new personal record and jump a distance of at least 7.65 meters during the tournament.

For Drayden, he believes he can finish on a high note and place at the last meet of his career.

“We just need to continue to be consistent and compete how we have been practicing and we will do fine,” Drayden said. “I want to set personal records in both the long jump and the triple jump, and to just go in there and perform well will be a great accomplishment.”

Other athletes, like sophomore Breanna Eckels, are competing in multiple events during the tournament next weekend. Eckels will be participating

in the long jump, 100-meters and the 4x100 relays.

Eckels is currently ranked No. 2 in the long jump during the outdoor season, with a distance of 6.28 meters. She is currently .05 meters from being first in C-USA. With how she has performed all season, Eckels and her teammates are feeling good heading into the tournament.

“I did OK at the previous tournament, I feel I have had better marks before,” Eckels said. “I feel pretty great heading into the tournament next week.”

Another event Eckels has the potential to place in is in the 4x100 relays. The Mean Green are currently No. 2 with a time of 45.29 — .14 seconds off first place.

Her and her teammates know they have the potential to place in all of the competitions they run in, it’s just a matter of putting all of the hard work and everything they have learned together into one race.

“We just have to run fast and trust in each other, and I am sure the 4x1 will come together,” Eckels said. “As a team I hope everyone comes together as they know how, and as an individual

I am getting my body ready for the next couple of weeks.”

With Sheffield at the helm, the Mean Green have won two conference tournaments and have placed second twice. Last season, the Mean Green finished ninth in the men’s outdoor competition and ninth in the women’s.

The biggest competition for the Mean Green Sheffield said is in sprints and hurdles. It is where he and his coaching staff are focusing on the most heading into the meet.

“Where we have to be more competitive in is in the sprints and hurdles — it is a very strong conference in that regard,” Sheffield said. “I think what will keep us in the game will be keeping up with the teams scoring points in the sprints and hurdles.”

Winning the entire championship is obviously the goal for the Mean Green this outdoor season, and for Sheffield, he agrees the team must improve from their indoor competition.

“We have to do better than we did during the indoor competition,” Sheffield said. “I want us to get better in our league. We would like to be top five on the women’s and men’s side coming out of the tournament.”

Trautwein silences Golden Eagles

By Luis Diosdado @luis_diosdado9 North Texas has found itself in several pitching duels throughout the regular season, so Sunday’s matchup with Southern Mississippi was not an unfamiliar situation.

But the heart and fight North Texas head coach Tracey Kee has harped on (24-24, 10-10) throughout the season reappeared as they topped the Golden Eagles (19-33 8-11), 2-0.

Freshman pitcher Hope Trautwein and senior Southern Miss pitcher Kim Crowson, who held the Mean Green scoreless in game one of the series on Saturday, went back and forth, refusing to allow anything in the run column through the first six innings.

Trautwein finished the complete game shutout allowing just three hits and striking out five.

“I went out there confident knowing I could get anything past them,” Trautwein said. “With my defense behind me, they had been working super hard all week and really trying to get everyone on the same page. I feel like that was the game changer.”

Southern Miss did put some pressure on Trautwein in the fifth inning, though. The Golden Eagles loaded up the bases in hopes of bringing across the first runs of the game, but Trautwein wasn’t having it. Despite a walk and a hit by pitch in the inning, Trautwein dialed in and got herself out of the situation.

“That was a huge 3-1 at-bat,” Kee said. “She was nervous, but she trusted her pitches. We were going

to make them hit it, we weren’t going give them a free pass to come in.”

Not long after, junior infielder Sam Rea took matters into her own hands, leading off the top of the seventh inning with a hard hit home run to open up the scoring and put North Texas on top 1-0.

“I knew we were on her all day,” Rea said. “Since it was the seventh inning, I had a good sense of urgency, and I just needed to be smart and do something for my team by putting a run on the board.”

Rea now joins sophomore Hanna Rebar in the double-digit home run club with her 10th long ball of the season.

“It seems like all of Sam’s home runs have been in crucial moments,” Kee said. “She had been having a rough weekend offensively, so it was good to see her battle and jump on her pitch.”

The Mean Green scraped across another run later in the inning on a bases loaded walk, drawn by sophomore infielder Lacy Gregory.

After a seven game losing skid, North Texas has now grabbed back-to-back wins heading into a crucial final series next weekend at home against the University of Alabama-Birmingham “We knew the importance of having to take the series,” Kee said. “I told them to to enjoy this until we get back to Texas and then our complete focus turns to UAB after that.”

Up next: The Mean Green face UAB in their last three games of the regular season. Games one and two will be on Saturday at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. at Lovelace Stadium in Denton.

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North Texas sophomore Katie Clark hits the ball in a game against Houston Baptist University on April 11 at Lovelace Stadium.

Sara Carpenter

...because even the best of us can be a DICK

OPINION Page 8

THURSDAY, MAY 3, 2018

NTDAILY.COM

Goodbyes are hard, but necessary

By Kayleigh Bywater @kayleighbywater When I first found out in November I would be Editor-in-Chief for spring 2018, I had everything planned out — and I mean everything. I had the perfect timeline mapped out (and color coded) in my planner. I had a set plan of what stories would be produced and published each day. I flooded my editorial board’s emails with Google Docs almost every day. I interviewed over 100 people to be on staff.

But much like life, the semester took some crazy and unusual twists and turns.

It is no surprise that a lot has happened this semester. From heart-wrenching breaking news and surprising university plans to celebrating alongside our sports teams and taking a closer look at what makes UNT students unique, every single day brought something new.

Through everything, I can say with every ounce of my being that I could not have done any of this without the staff I had. As someone who has been on the Daily since fall 2014, I can say that this staff is, without a doubt, one of the most talented, committed and hardworking staffs I have ever been a part of.

So, here’s to you — all of you.

To my editorial board: I’m sorry for all my corny jokes, unpopular food opinions (yes, peanut butter is terrible), constant wedding talk and obnoxious “The Office” references, but I am so lucky that you all were the ones who had to hear them. Each one of you worked so hard this semester, and I can honestly say I learned so much from every single one of you. Thank you for being by my side throughout this whole process. I’m going to miss working with my amazing team.

To all my writers: I’m not trying to toot my own horn, but I thought that I was a great writer whenever I was a staff writer.

Reading your stories every week, however, left me in awe. Each and every one of you — whether you have written the entire semester or were only able to be on staff for a few weeks — has left my jaw dropping throughout the semester. Your story ideas, executions, ability to get inciting quotes and commitment to this paper is so inspiring, and I have no doubt you will all go on to do amazing things.

To my photographers, illustrators and videographers: I’ve never met another group of people who can make buildings or meetings look so interesting,

but you all did just that. Your photos, illustrations and videos were some of the best I’ve seen at the Daily, even though your jobs were extremely difficult sometimes.

Each of your willingness to take on weekly assignments and knocking them out of the park while also working together to help out your fellow staffers (even if it meant drawing an illustration with two hours notice or taking on a photo assignment the day-of) is what great journalism is all about, and I am so grateful to have known each and every one of you.

goal is to get a conversation going with our content — which includes editorial pieces, breaking news stories and covering certain tough things that happened during the semester. Thank you for listening, and I urge you to keep reading and commenting well into the future. Our university paper would not be possible without our readers, so thank you, no matter who you are or where you are.

Here at the Daily, we are a bunch of students trying to juggle classes, jobs,

practicing journalism, doing homework, having a social life all while still trying to take care of ourselves. I know not every second of this semester was perfect, but the thing I am most proud of throughout my whole college journey was getting to be Editor-in-Chief of the North Texas Daily. Even though I graduate this month, I am so excited to see what’s next for the Daily — I have no doubt it will be amazing.

Once again, thank you so, so much.

Photo by Kameren Hansen

To our adviser Gary Ghioto and the Mayborn School of Journalism faculty: Thank you for the constant support, love and recognition throughout this semester. Your kind words and encouragement to my staff and me pushed us to represent the best semester of the Daily yet — in my opinion. Even though some of the remarks were a bit of tough love, sometimes the best advice is the hardest to hear, and we thank you for giving us that constructive criticism.

And finally — To our readers: We aren’t perfect, but I thank you for giving our staff a chance. Our

THIS & THAT

THIS & THAT

Eating meat is good for you Vegetarianism is worth a shot

By Maritza Ramos @maritzarara In an ideal world, we could avoid killing animals for food, and we would not need to eat meat to get our perfectly packaged array of nutrients — but this is not the case for our reality.

Millions of years ago, humans were able to develop large brains, making us who we are today because of meat.

Some researchers believe that, much like some people today, the first humans to eat meat did so because it allowed them to survive without having to munch on a raw vegan diet for the majority of the day.

Meat was more practical because it provided much of what early humans needed to survive at a fraction of the time and effort it would take to get the same nutrients from raw foods.

Due to exhaustive modern farming methods, the levels of nutrients in our plants, vegetables and crops are not as high as they used to be. This means we need to eat more of these vegetables to receive the right amount of nutrients for our body, which sounds like the same sort of predicament our ancient ancestors found themselves in.

In fact, being vegan or vegetarian is expensive.

Greens and fruits are becoming extremely difficult for people to consume on a day-to-day basis because of how costly they’ve become. The vegan or vegetarian diet does not take into account the fact that many people in the United States live in “food deserts” where fresh produce is practically unattainable.

On top of this, vegan and vegetarian diets are often lauded as being miraculous for the environment.

However, this is not always the case — at least not to

the level at which they’re promoted as.

According to a study published by Elementa, veganism “wastes land that could be otherwise used to feed more people.” This is because it did not take advantage of perennial cropland, or land where crops are kept alive and harvested year round, as opposed to only select times during the year.

Some studies say that leaning more toward a plant-based diet without the complete elimination of meat is healthier for not only the human body, but also the planet.

I do not believe this means everyone should stop eating meat all together.

It is wrong to say we should get rid of a whole part of the diet just because some say it’s what is best for them. If they are healthier and happier for eliminating meat products — great. But to assume and perpetuate the idea that meat has no purpose in the human diet anymore — or that it ever did — and to assume everyone exists within a similar financial and health situation as them is harmful and counterproductive.

Furthermore, we exist in a reality where the food chain is a large component of our natural order.

Humans are not the only species that prey on other animals for sustenance, but somehow we are the only evil ones for doing so.

I do acknowledge that the meat industry has many problems when it comes to ethics and hygiene. The state animals are living in is despicable and should be one of the first issues within the meat industry to upgrade.

We definitely have a long way to go to make the meat industry less harmful to the environment and to people, but it’s all about balance. No diet is perfect.

Is your life what you imagined it would be when you first started college? Maybe it is, but maybe it’s not.

It’s human nature to plan and strategize what happens next, but sometimes all of that

I would like to begin by expressing that you, as a grown individual, have the right to eat anything you want. Your food preferences are your own, and nobody should chastise you or criticize your meal choice.

With that being said, I argue that vegetarianism is a good path to a healthy body.

As of late, there has been a lot of hype about vegetarianism and veganism. A vegetable-heavy diet focusing on fresh vegetables, rather than fried or boiled, can help individuals feel great — but that doesn’t stop the negative assumptions or misconceptions.

The biggest misconception about vegetarians is that we are unable to obtain enough protein in our diet. However, with smart choices, any vegetarian can hit

environment with the overuse of water and fertilizers.

It has been noted that in rerouting our efforts, we can start by limiting the cattle industry by replacing much of it with vegetables that go directly toward human consumption. Then, even more of the earth’s population could be fed.

I have been a vegetarian for four years. It works for me, and I have really enjoyed the practice. I encourage anyone who is curious or interested in trying vegetarianism to give it a go. While it is not easy, it sure is rewarding.

Smart and informed choices can make vegetarianism a suitable and fun diet for anyone who wants to partake.

Illustration by Austin Banzon

FOR YOUR Illustration by Austin Banzon

Graduation is the beginning, not the end

By Brianna Adams @bribriixo

By Sean Rainey @HeldBubble

the mark and reach both their caloric and protein goals. For example, kale has about 2.9 grams of protein per cup, which is a little underwhelming. Can you imagine how many cups of raw kale you would have to eat to reach 50 grams of protein? Well, roughly 18 cups, but that sounds like literal hell. On the other hand, 1 cup of edamame is roughly equivalent to 17 grams of protein.

Another argument in favor of vegetarianism is how little it impacts the environment compared to the meat industry.

There are so many mouths to feed on this planet, and in reality, meat just isn’t sustainable. We would have to produce enough food suitable to feed all the cattle, which alone impacts the

planning puts stress on us to either succeed or be a total failure.

With graduation coming up for some of us, I figure it’s the perfect time to say this: relax — you made it. Enjoy it today because tomorrow is quickly approaching.

I know a lot of people get nervous about getting a “big kid job” and having “real” responsibilities. It’s true — the world after college can be a very scary place. Now you have to somehow make your own money while you have student loans, rent, car insurance and a plethora of other financial obligations to tend to.

Maybe you just don’t know

what comes next, and that is OK. After you graduate, you have all the time in the world to settle down and find your way, so you don’t have to settle down and accept the first job that pings your LinkedIn profile.

It’s easy to get caught up in meeting this imaginary deadline for starting a career you may not even be sure you want. There is no right decision. Your future is your own, and no one can tell you how to approach it.

Accept the job, or don’t accept the job. Accept it, and then change your mind a year from now. I don’t know the right decision to that, and maybe you don’t either. But it’s OK, you don’t have to.

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