Oct. 4, 2021
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THE MERCURY
UTD names first female Hispanic AD in NCAA D-III
UTDMERCURY.COM
UTD returns to fully in-person NANDIKA MANSINGKA News Editor
After six weeks of de-densified instruction, UTD administration made the decision to return campus to full density. Classes will be back in person full-time
beginning Oct. 4, and professors have been given the option to terminate use of most online components of learning, including live online lectures and recordings. The directive came directly from President Benson, who has been working closely with the provost, other communication staff and Vice Presi-
dent and Chief of Staff Rafael Martín who is the main person responsible for coordinating the COVID-19 response across campus. “I feel like we've had a pretty comprehensive response and conservative response to the pandemic thus far,” Martín said. “With circumstances at the start of the fall semester,
with the Delta surge, we felt that it was best to de-densify some of the larger in-person classes. But we obviously have made a promise to our students that we were going to be back in person for the fall semester. I've been
Angela Marin hopes to lead DEI initiatives as Interim Athletics Director, while Bill Pettit transitions back to External Affairs
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TYLER BURKHARDT Editor-in-Chief
Effective Oct. 1, Bill Pettit is transitioning out of the role of Director of Athletics, and Angela Marin has been appointed to fill that role until a full job search can be completed. Marin, who has been with UTD’s athletics department since 2012, was previously the Associate Athletics Director. She steps into this new role intending to continue UTD’s trajectory of growth and competitiveness with the conference and personify the diversity of Comet athletics. Meanwhile, Pettit returns to the position of Associate Athletics Director for External Affairs, a role he held from 20082014, prior to becoming the Director of Athletics. “This was my goal and my dream since I entered college athletics as a student worker almost 15 years ago, so this is a dream come true,” Marin said. “I’m extremely grateful to be here. I’m grateful to represent this department. But most importantly, I’m grateful to represent UT Dallas.” Marin began her career in student athletics as a student worker in Texas A&M’s men’s basketball program, where she gained her passion for college athletics. After her tenure at A&M, Marin transitioned to the athletics department at the University of New Orleans, where she would spend six years initially coaching both basketball and volleyball before finding a long-term home in collegiate athletics administration. “I came in post-Katrina, so it was a war zone with armored tanks, military personnel and enforced curfews. I was working with student athletes who had lost everything in that storm. So, to be able to connect with them and make sure that they had the experiences they deserved, regardless of the resources we did or didn’t have—we obviously lost a lot of resources due to that disaster—that taught me how to be resilient and resourceful.” From New Orleans, Marin would transfer to a position at UTD in 2012. “I’ve been at UT Dallas since 2012, and October 1 was my first day on campus, so that makes nine years today, actually. In that time, I’ve learned so much from Bill and from Dr. Fitch, both of whom truly championed my growth and my experi-
SEE DENSITY, PAGE 8
TOBOR Y T I OC C
TEM
Two students were caught 'stealing' a Tobor near Northside but were just pulling a practical joke MANYA BONDADA Mercury Staff
A recent incident regarding a few students who put a UTD food delivery robot in the trunk of their car gained a lot of attention among Comets online, attempting to speculate what intent could have motivated this act. On Tuesday, Sept. 14, two students were recorded carrying a food delivery robot, or Tobor, to their car next to the Northside Drafthouse. Many onlookers perceived the event as an attempt to steal the Tobor
following the Devious Licks TikTok trend, which features students vandalizing or stealing school property, and one witness even called campus police to the scene. The police arrived around midnight and investigated the situation to assess whether there was any damage to the Tobor. After a couple of hours of confirming that there was no damage, the police let the students go without pressing criminal charges and left the case to be handled by the Dean of Students. Lieutenant Adam Perry, division commander for UTD’s Criminal Investigative Division, said, “in this particular case, it appears that it was some students
who were going to a friend’s house who they knew really enjoyed robots. They picked it up and they took it over to their friend’s house, showed the friend the robot and then immediately released it, so there was no deprivation of property. They didn't steal it and they didn't have it very long.” According to criminal law, for an act to be considered theft, someone must be deliberately deprived of their property. Since the two students who took the Tobor had no criminal intent behind their action, the
SEE DIRECTOR, PAGE 8
SMASHING EXPECTATIONS, PAGE 3
MAKING MUSIC, PAGE 5
RAISING THE BAR, PAGE 6
SEE TOBORS, PAGE 8