September 8, 2015
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THE MERCURY | UTDMERCURY.COM
Scholarship founded in memory of grad student
Welcome Week Grad works for NASA Sports Previews
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OLD SCHOOL
Brothers-in-law create adult-oriented arcade complete with retro games, alcohol
Friends, classmates hope to raise $25,000 by end of the year for memorial fund
MESA FAMILY | COURTESY
Ben Mesa stands with his two sons, Zachary and Aiden. Mesa died in a boating accident at Lake Grapevine on Jun. 7. The scholarship named in his honor will be open to full-time graduate or undergraduate students with at least 10 years of professional experience. JIANA KHAZMA Mercury Staff
UTD business alumni are honoring a cherished classmate who died on Jun. 7 in a boating accident at Grapevine Lake, just two weeks after completing his MBA. Professors and peers described Ruben “Ben” Mesa as memorable for his booming laughter and commitment to causes he cared about. Mesa’s death came as a shock to those around him. “It just wasn’t the same after he wasn’t there,” Jeff Steele, a former classmate and friend, said. “He was one of those people (whose) personality drove the class.” The cohort that he was a part of created The Ruben Mesa Memorial Scholarship — which has raised over $8,000 in its first two weeks — to
PHOTO BY CHRIS LIN | MERCURY STAFF
Richard Tregilgas (left) and Corey Hyden both have a shared passion for classic arcade games. After Hyden started a collection that filled up his garage, the duo came up with the idea to start Free Play Arcade. STORY BY SURAIYA RAHMETULLA
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Mercury Staff
ames and beer will fill the space of Free Play Arcade, a new venue located in the East Richardson Shopping Center that will house classic games and a dining area with food and alcoholic beverages. The establishment, founded by Richardson natives and brothers-in-law Corey Hyden and Richard Tregilgas, is an adult-oriented, retro arcade expected to open in October. It is the first business to have
Ben really was bigger than life.
→ SEE ARCADE, PAGE 14
— JoAnne Blanchette, Ben Mesa's fiancee
commemorate their classmate. The scholarship will be open to full-time graduate or undergraduate students with at least 10 years of professional experience and is expected to launch in the spring of 2017. The scholarship committee hopes to reach its goal of raising $25,000 by Dec. 31. Pamela Foster Brady — who was also one of Mesa’s professors — recalled an instance in which the MBA cohort was preparing for a study trip to Istanbul. News reports suddenly emerged indicating the possibility of political strife in surrounding regions before the trip. “Students were very anxious, so we had a class meeting to ease their concerns,” she said. “Then Ben stood up. He said, ‘Pamela, have you already booked your tickets?’ And I said ‘Yes, Ben, we have,’ and he said, ‘That does it, I’m going.’” Mesa then grabbed his backpack and left the meeting. Half the class followed him. “That just kind of gives you a picture of his own leadership style,” she said. Mesa’s leadership tendencies also extended to his family. He left behind a fiancée, JoAnne Blanchette, and two sons, Zachary and Aiden. Blanchette said Mesa always did his best to spend time with his loved ones. “Ben really was bigger than life,” Blanchette said. “His presence just brought so much. His sons were his world. Every day he made sure to call his old friends just to touch base and make sure they were okay.” While Mesa was very successful in his accounting career, it was never the main focus in his life. “He made all the little things in life matter,” Blanchette said. “In today’s society when we see individuals there’s always an ulterior motive. Ben always proved real with his integrity and honor. He genuinely wanted the best for people. He was an honorable man, a family man.” As far as the community impact, Mesa’s death has rekindled old friendships. “When things like this happen, you need a way to get grief out of the way,” Steele said. “Usually after graduating, people go in their different directions ... but if anything, it brought (the cohort) back together.” Whether as a student, professional or father, those who were around Mesa said he brought value to the lives of others. “To me, untapped potential best describes Ben,” Foster Brady said. “He was a special guy and I think it was a reality check for our cohort to love life while you’re here.”
obtained an Amusement Arcade permit from the City of Richardson in over ten years. According to the arcade’s Development Blog, over 60 forms of entertaining arcade games and pinball machines primarily from the 1980s will be featured in the establishment. Tentative titles include “Ms. Pac Man,” “Space Invaders” and the “Tempest”. “My favorite arcade game is ‘Rolling Thunder’ and
IN THE DANCING SPIRIT Power Dancers get new coach with NFL, NBA performing experience
RANJIT SREENIVAS | MERCURY STAFF
Jacy Barney (middle), a professional dancer who spent three seasons with the Los Angeles Clippers, has joined UTD as the new head coach of the Power Dancers. NIDHI GOTGI
Managing Editor
A former member of the Dallas Cowboys Rhythm and Blue Dance Squad will join UTD as the new head coach of the Power Dancers. Jacy Barney spent a season with the Cowboys from June 2014 to June 2015 and three years with the Los Angeles Clippers before that. In her junior year of high school, she represented the U.S. in Spain at the Dance World Cup as part of the American Dance Team and later
went on to win the national title of Miss Dance USA. After graduation, she joined the dance team at Orange Coast College and helped them win the national title her first year there. With her extensive experience in professional dance, Barney said she wants to build up the prestige of the current squad. “The main goal is to turn the UTD dance team into a professional team,” she said. “By the way that they look, by the way that they present
→ SEE DANCER, PAGE 14