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Tuesday, March 23, 2010Volume 95 | Issue 33

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Volume 95 | Issue 33

Divided House passes health, student loan bills

Police departments add program, dog to forces

BY LISA GARZASenior Staff Writer

President Barack Obama is expected to sign the controver-sial House-approved health care bill today that would initiate a giant step toward his goal of implementing universal medical coverage.

House Democrats voted 219 to 212 during Sunday evening’s session to send to Obama the Senate-approved legislation that would extend health care insur-ance coverage to about 32 million Americans and prevent insur-ance companies from denying applicants based on pre-existing medical conditions.

“I think this is a positive change for the nation, but much of it remains to be seen how well it will work out,” said John Todd, of the UNT political science faculty. “It will mean some major

changes but it will make health care available to a lot more people.”

In an address to the American public Sunday night, Obama said he realizes that opposi-tion remains and the bill will continue to undergo scrutiny but “what will remain standing is not the government-run system some feared, or the status quo that serves the interests of the insurance industry, but a health care system that incorporates ideas from both parties — a system that works better for the American people.”

The Senate will evaluate the passed revisions as soon as Obama signs the broader legislation, said Jim Manley, spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., in a statement.

The debate will be limited

to 20 hours and likely will end early Thursday, Manley said. After that, a series of votes on amendments will take place with no time limit on the entire process, but that allows for just one minute between votes.

Winners, losersThe cost of the bill is $940

billion over 10 years, according to the Congressional Budget Office. Major changes in the number of Americans covered would begin in 2014 with almost everyone mandated to purchase health insurance or face paying a fine. People with low incomes may be exempted from this requirement.

See CRITICS on Page 2

1st Dallas PD grads complete

training

New K-9 joins UNT Police Department

Dallas Police Chief David Kunkle speaks at the graduation for the Caruth Police Institute’s Lieutenant’s Leadership School Feb. 18 at the Dallas Arboretum.

Originally from Holland, 3-year-old Jack has obedience training with Corporal Ricky Olivarez every day. Olivarez uses Dutch training words when giving Jack commands.

PHOTO COURTESY OF DAVID PORTER

PHOTO BY CRISTY ANGULO/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

BY TIM MONZINGOContributing Writer

A new member of t he UNT Police Department has patrolled the streets since fall 2009, aiding with suspect apprehensions and sniffing out narcotics.

Rex, a Belgian Malinois, was purchased by the depart-ment last semester to expand the K-9 unit from two to three members.

“The program has been such a success and such a valuable tool for us that we felt that expanding the program is bene-ficial to the university as well as us,” said Lt. Mark Bergstrom, the patrol commander who oversees the K-9 program. “It increases our capabilities dramatically.”

The dogs, Rex, Jack and Joy, assist officers in everything from drugs, explosives, building searches to catching suspects to crime prevention.

The dogs all have training in several areas to maximize the effectiveness of the team, Bergstrom said.

“The dogs we train weekly work on skills, whether it’s scent detection, whether it’s appre-hension, building searches,” he said. “We have dual-purpose dogs.”

Bergstrom said that some agencies will employ a single-purpose dog.

“Our thing was we wanted the dual purpose because you get more bang for your buck with them,” he said.

Two of the dogs, Jack and Joy, were brought in to replace the previous German Shepherds, who were retired because of old age.

He said that all three are Belgian Malinois, a breed that doesn’t typically suffer the common health problems found in German Shepherds.

According to www.dopedog.com, a site specializing in K-9 training and supply, the average cost of a fully trained, working dog is between $5,000 and $8,000.

Some people question if the police department really needs a third K-9, given the initial high cost and expenses for food and care.

See K-9 on Page 3

BY ALEX CHEATHAMStaff Writer

A program geared toward the education and training of the Police Department’s mid-level managers and above recently graduated its first lieutenants during an inaugural session.

The Caruth Institute’s program manager Jennifer Elaine Davis said the idea for the institute came from the Communities Foundation of Texas and Dallas Police Chief David Kunkle, who felt that better education for police officers was the way to enhance the public safety in Dallas.

“The Caruth Police Institute is the only one of its kind in the nation,” said Greg Tomlin, exec-utive director of marketing and communications at UNT Dallas. “Until now, there has been no form of training available in-house.”

The graduation comes after three years of development with the UNT System, the Communities Foundation of Texas, and the Dallas Police Department, the W.W. Caruth Jr. Dallas Police Institute.

The Caruth Police Institute began with a $9.5 million grant from the W.W. Caruth Jr. Foundation at Communities Foundation of Texas.

Working with the Police Department would not only bring education to mid-level manage-ment, but also help improve urban policing by preparing officers to over-come cha l-lenges, Davis said.

Lt . S a l l y Lannom of the Dallas Police Depa r t ment was among the 23 graduates of the institute. Lannom said she was lucky to have been involved in the training because it will allow her to think about her job with broader prospective.

The intensive six-week training course took 240 hours to complete and included reading, case study evaluations and techniques to aid with crisis management and decision making, all to prepare the police officers for challenges they may face throughout their career.

According to the Department of Justice’s COPS Web site, the

Caruth Police Institute repre-sents the future of American policing.

By merging research with hands-on applications, the institute intends to help the Department produce officers who understand the best prac-

tices in policing and will high-light it on a national level.

“I’ve been working on the police force for 23 years, and you tend to get comfortable with what you’re used to. This training came from a different approach, and made us stop and look at things we’re doing, and make changes if need be,” Lannom said.

The training also included insight and expertise from multiple speakers, including the Mike Heidingsfield, senior assis-tant sergeant at arms for the U.S. Senate who has spent the last 18 months reforming Baghdad’s

police force. Robert Casey, the Dallas FBI’s

special agent in charge, instructed the lieutenants on issues such as terrorism.

“The police department is usually based on training from a military point of view.

This academic approach will help to broaden our horizons,” Lannom said. “A police officer c a n n e v e r have enough training.”

One of UNT’s main goals is to be involved in

the civic life of the community and improve the quality of life within the Dallas and North Texas area, Tomlin said. The Caruth Police Institute is an example of public partnership.

The training takes place at the department headquarters, but it will be transferred following the addition of a second general purpose building at the UNT Dallas campus in August.

“This really puts [UNT Dallas] on the cutting edge of research ...,” Tomlin said. “It has created the kind of partnership we want with the Dallas community.”

“The Caruth Police Institute is the only one of its kind in the nation.”

—Greg TomlinExecutive director of marketing and communications

UNT Dallas

President Barack Obama makes a statement in the East Room following the � nal vote in the House on health care reform Sunday in Washington D.C..

PHOTO COURTESY OF OLIVER DOULIERYMCT

To see multimedia for this story, see ntdaily.com

To read the Daily editorial on this subject, see Page 10

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Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Insurance companies will be forbidden to place lifetime dollar limits on policies, cancel poli-cies of patients who become ill, charge women higher premiums than men and deny applicants based on pre-existing medical conditions.

Parents are now allowed to keep their children covered under their health insurance plan until the age of 26.

“This bill is especially signifi-cant for people our age because shortly after it is signed in, students will be able to remain on our parents’ health care [insurance] until we are 26,” said Aaron Kepler, radio, tele-vision and film junior and communications director of North Texas Democrats. “This of course is minimal compared to the millions of Americans the reform will affect.”

Trayton Oakes, a political science junior and chairman of North Texas College Republicans, said he “doesn’t like the fact that every man, woman and child will be required to purchase [health insurance] whether they want to or not.”

Oakes said the change allowing many college students to remain on their parent’s insurance “may be positive for some period of time.”

“I think it may be good for students, but in the end it will probably lead to higher premiums,” he said.

Student loan billThe student aid reform

package was attached to the Democrats’ final amendments in the health care bill.

Changes that will result from this addition include an elimi-nation of a $60 billion program that supports private student loans.

G o v e r n m e n t l e n d i n g programs would be students’ only option for education loans.

Education Secretary Arne Duncan told The Washington Post that Sunday’s vote is “a big victory for America’s students.”

The student loan bill would generate $61 billion in savings over 10 years, according to the Congressional Budget Office.

Most of those savings, $36 billion, would go to Pell grants for low-income students. The House passed a version of the student loan bill in September, but Democrats did not have enough votes to get it approved in the Senate. The version approved Sunday is part of a package with the health care reform bill.

“I’m disappointed with the way that it was passed,” Oakes said. “It would be one thing if states were going to get more involved on loans in their partic-ular states because they help fund universities. When ... the federal government gets more involved, it’s dangerous because we don’t know how good or bad this is going to be.”

Critics not backing downAs of Monday, Republican

Attorneys General in 12 states have publicly warned that they will file lawsuits on behalf of their respective states, claiming t hat t he requirement of Americans purchasing medical insurance is unconstitutional.

“To protect a l l Texans’ constitutional rights, preserve the constitutional frame-work intended by our nation’s founders and defend our state from further infringement by the federal government, the state of Texas and other states will legally challenge the federal health care legislation,” Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott said in a press release.

Abor t ion r ig ht s advo-cates, such as the National Organization for Women, criticized the bill because no health plan would be required to offer coverage for abortion. Insurers that do cover abor-tion must require policy-holders to pay for it separately, and that money would have to be kept in a separate account from taxpayer money. States could ban abortion coverage in plans offered through the exchange. Exceptions would be made for cases of rape, incest and danger to the life of the mother.

“This burdensome, elabo-rate system must be elimi-nated,” NOW President Terry O’Neill said in a statement. “It is there because the Catholic bishops and extremist abor-tion-rights opponents know that it will result in greatly restricting access to abortion care, currently one of the most common medical procedures for women.”

Oakes said that a Democratic representative was persuaded to approve the legislation.

“Representat ive St upa k wanted to prevent abortion from being federally funded and he was persuaded to sign the bill even though he didn’t

Critics remain unhappy with health care reformContinued from Page 1

like it,” Oakes said.E l i z abet h Old m i xon of

the political science faculty member said she was “struck” by the partisan nature of the outcome.

“The Republicans voted ‘no’ and most of the Democrats voted ‘yes,’” she said. “In most legislatures, this is the norm.”

Oldmixon said the party’s clear representation to the public will make it easier to vote and “who you can hold accountable and who you can reward at election time.”

“Come November, the bill might be looking pretty good and any negative things that may result from the bill won’t rea l ly be happening yet,” Oldmixon said.

Kepler said he is happy that he will now have a sense of security because he was

previously unable to obtain health insurance because of the bad job market or “negli-gent employers.”

“It is time we stop worrying about profits and focus on people, and this bill shows that our government feels the same way,” he said.

POLICE BLOTTERFriday, March 19

A minor traffic accident occurred at 2:48 a.m. at 900 S. Welch St. A UNT officer arrested t he driver, a 21-year-old man, on suspicion of intoxication and posses-sion of marijuana his male passenger, 20, on suspicion o f i n t o x i c a t i o n a n d possession of alcohol. The d r iver wa s ta ken to t he Denton Cou nt y Ja i l . The passenger was taken to the Denton City Jail.

Thursday, March 18A U N T pol ic e of f ic er

arrested a 26-year-old man at 6:32 a.m. at Lot 25, 601 S. Ave. C, on suspicion of intox-ication. He was taken to the City of Denton Jail.

Wednesday, March 17Denton Police called for

an officer to an assault that occurred at 2:02 a.m. at The Kush, 1302 W. Hickor y St. A U N T p o l i c e o f f i c e r arrested a 24-year-old man,

for d i s order l y c onduc t , resisting arrest and trans-portation, interference with a n emergenc y telephone ca l l , t hef t over $ 50 but u nder $ 50 0, a nd publ ic intoxication. He was taken to the Denton County Jail.

Tuesday, March 16 A student reported that

her cel l phone was stolen from Willis Library at 11:53 a.m. A UNT police off icer responded.

Monday, March 15A U N T pol ic e of f ic er

pulled a 24-year-old man o v e r a t 10 : 5 5 a . m . i n t he 900 block of Beatt y St . He w a s w a nt e d b y t h e R o a n o k e P o l i c e D e p a r t m e n t f o r s p e e d i n g a n d f a i l u r e t o a p p e a r a n d w a s d r i v i n g u n d e r a s u s pe n d e d l i c e n s e . H e w a s a r r e s t e d a n d taken to the Denton County Jail.

Prop 8 protesters must release memos

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Civil rights groups that campaigned against California’s same-sex marriage ban must surrender some of their internal campaign memos and e-mails to lawyers for the other side, a federal judge ruled Monday.

U.S. District Chief Judge Vaughn Walker said sponsors of Proposition 8, the 2008 ballot initiative targeting gay marriage, were entitled to the informa-tion as evidence in their defense against a lawsuit challenging the ban.

Walker’s decision upholds a previous ruling by a federal magistrate.

The ruling could delay a verdict in the trial, the first in

federal court to examine if the U.S. Constitution prevents states from outlawing gay marriages.

The American Civil Liberties Union and Equality California, two of the groups that must turn over the campaign materials, said Monday they are reviewing Walker’s order to determine whether to appeal it.

The ACLU and Equality California, the state’s largest gay rights group, had argued that the campaign documents being sought were irrelevant to the Proposition 8 lawsuit. They also claimed it was unfair to make them bear the expense of sifting through tens of thousands of old e-mails.

“We do believe this decision is incorrrect,” said Geoffrey Kors, Equality California’s executive director. “A core issue in the case is whether the motivation of those who put Prop. 8 on the ballot is animus. Why people opposed Prop. 8 is not relevant.”

In rejecting the groups’ argu-ments, Walker said Magistrate Joseph Spero took substantial steps to make the task easier, including listing specific search terms for culling relevant mate-rial from computer files and limiting the material to docu-ments dealing with campaign arguments formulated to fight the gay marriage ban.

“To the extent the ACLU and Equality California argue the magistrate’s order imposes an undue burden on them, they have failed to substantiate the burden,” Walker wrote.

From far-off locations they come for one thing and onething only...

TO MIND THEIR BELLY!

115 S. Elm St. Denton940-484-2888

Mind yer belly.

940.383.5850

Ace Pro TutorsAll Subjects

News Page 3

T.S. McBride, Rebecca Hoeffner & Melissa Boughton, News Editors ntdailynews@gmail.com

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

“‘Is it really necessary?’ is the question,” said Nicholas Kanozik, a UNT alumnus. “I imagine they can cover a lot of ground with two dogs.”

Bergstrom said he didn’t know the exact costs of caring for a K-9, but the animals are worth it.

“In reality, it’s not a cost, it’s an investment,” he said. “It’s not cost prohibitive, or we wouldn’t have it.”

Briana Camp, an art history sophomore, said she thinks the dogs serve a greater purpose than simply catching suspects.

“I think it’s a good thing for prevention,” Camp said. “If one is to be caught with weed, or any sort of drug, then they have to immediately pay their loans and I don’t think a lot of people read the fine print and loans are incredibly vital for most students here.”

Bergstrom said that it’s hard to measure the preventative effect of the dogs, but that it gives people something to think about.

“If somebody’s carr y ing dope, or selling dope, they may think ‘Oh, don’t want to do it there, they have K-9.’ Hopefully they stay away,” he said.

Bergstrom said the dogs ser ve ot her pu r poses i n addition to their work in law enforcement.

“Along with the enforce-ment, it’s a public relations tool, too, because people love dogs,” he said. “That’s a talking point, too, for someone to come up to the handler and say, ‘Hey, talk to me about your dog,’ so it opens up the communication lines with the public and us also.”

K-9 Unit stirs up controversy over costs, benefitsContinued from Page 1

“In reality, it’s not a

cost, it’s an investment.”

—Lt. Mark BergstromUNT Police Department

Jack is driven while working and training but is calm and relaxed as soon as the job is done, which is different from what Corporal Olivarez expected, he said. Photo by Cristy Angulo/stAff PhotogrAPher

Campus-wide Haiti Relief program comes to an endBy Alex CheAthAmStaff Writer

UNT’s Big Give, a campus-wide initiative to raise money for Haiti and Chile, ended Sunday.

S t u d e n t G o v e r n m e n t Association president Dakota Carter said the ultimate goal was to raise $40,000. As of right now, he said, the money is being collected and counted, and a grand total has not yet been established.

“Just because the media doesn’t cover Haiti every day doesn’t mean that they don’t need our help anymore,” said Courtney Wright, an inter-disciplinary studies junior. “There are always places that need our help, and donating a dollar is definitely feasible for everyone.”

Carter said the Big Give was created for students to realize the importance of helping others.

The effort launched on Feb. 6 with the College of Music. The Symphony Orchestra and the A Cappella Choir presented a relief concert to benefit Haiti. Each concert held at the Murchison

Performing Arts Center d u r i n g F e b r u a r y participated in the Big Give.

The Big Gi ve w a s created with t h e h e l p of a board of students representing v a r i o u s g r oup s at U N T, t h e S G A , a n d more directly, C a r t e r ’ s vision.

Cheylon Brown, director of the Multicultural Center, explained that there were several different departments that contributed to the Big Give, including the College of Music, the Multicultural Center, the Center for Leadership and Service, Public Affairs and Community Service, and Greek Life.

“The Multicultural Center became involved because the

local community of UNT has a responsibility to respond to the needs of the larger community,” Brown said.

One student organization, Students for A Future without Poverty, hosted a Dance-A-thon, Brown said.

Donations were collected and cans were passed to patrons at all men’s basketball games, concerts and other univer-sity-sponsored events, such as Café Diversity, One O’ Clock Lab Band performances and University Program Council events.

The money raised through UNT’s Big Give will be divided between the American Red Cross, Habitat for Humanity and Doctors Without Borders.

“Research has shown that the more engaged students are, the more they retain,” Brown said. “[The Multicultural Center] welcomes opportunities to bring national and even global awareness, and that’s why the Big Give is important.”

Although the deadline for the Big Give has passed, SGA vice president Jamaal Sanders said there’s been talk to keep the initiative going.

“After time has passed, people tend to forget about tragedy. There will still be people in Haiti struggling to rebuild for years,” Sanders said. “When you have the opportunity to give to Haiti and Chile through contin-uous contributions, year-round, it’s a good thing,”

“Just because the media doesn’t cover Haiti every day doesn’t mean that they don’t

need our help anymore.”—Courtney Wright

Interdisciplinary studies junior

grAPhiC Courtesy of John Alvin/MCt

JAMAAL SANDERS

DAKOTA CARTER

El Paso officials attack border gangsEL PASO, Texas (AP) — El

Paso police and Texas state troopers have waged a second assau lt aga inst suspected members of the Barrio Azteca border ga ng, a rrest ing 25 people in a second phase of “Operat ion K nock Dow n,” cit y a nd state pol ice sa id Monday.

I n a st atement i s sue d Monday, El Paso of f icia ls said 10 of 25 people arrested were confirmed members of the Barrio Azteca gang. U.S. and Mexican authorities have said they suspect the gang was involved in the March 13 killings of three people with ties to the U.S. Consulate in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico.

Consulate employee Lesley A. Enriquez and her husband, Arthur H. Redelfs, were killed Ma rch 13 in Jua rez when gunmen opened fire on their sport utility vehicle after they left a birthday party.

Jor ge A lb er to S a lc ido, the husband of a Mex ican employee of the consulate, also was kil led by gunmen a f t e r le a v i n g t he s a me event in a separate vehicle.

“Operation Knock Down” is a city, state and federal oper-ation that has been seeking leads into the slayings.

E l Pa so pol ice tact ica l

units helped with warranted searches over the weekend that led to the 25 arrests.

Assist ing El Paso police and the Texas Department of Public Safet y were t he F BI , D r u g E n f or c e me nt Administration, Immigration and Customs Enforcement a nd t he E l Pa so Cou nt y Sheriff’s Office.

I nve st ig ator s a l s o a re seek i ng i n for mat ion t hat could help t hem f ind t he

leader of the gang’s Juarez operations, Eduardo “Tablas” Ravelo, who was named to the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list last year.

Earlier this week, Mexican authorities said U.S. intelli-gence pointed toward involve-ment i n t he slay i ngs by t he A ztecas, who operate on both sides of the border and work for the Juarez drug cartel.

Init ia l ly a Texas prison

gang, Barrio Azteca expanded across the Rio Grande into Jua rez i n t he late 1990s, U.S. authorit ies have said. The FBI has said the gang is known simply as the Aztecas on the Mexican side of the border.

NewsPage 4

Scott McBride, Rebecca Hoeffner & Melissa Boughton, News Editors ntdailynews@gmail.com

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Soccer � elds to replace bird-watching areaBY ALEX CALAMSStaff Writer

Four new adult-sized soccer fields at a Denton park will soon replace an area devoted to bird watching, which may stir up controversial views among local birdwatchers.

North Lake Park, at 2001 W. Windsor Drive, is Denton’s largest city park and commu-nity recreation center. The soccer fields will be placed to the east of the park’s existing fields, said Emerson Vorel, Denton Parks and Recreation director.

“There’s folks that would prefer the land stay untouched for bird watching,” Vorel said, “but there is also a much larger population that would like to play adult soccer in Denton.”

Vorel said that, as with any decision, there are going to be opposing views that leave some unhappy. He also said

the soccer fields are overall the best decision for Denton, which has a lack of adult soccer fields.

The Capital Improvement Program Oversight Committee approved the decision to allo-cate money toward the soccer fields in 2005. The project will cost $850,000 and is funded by the city’s Parks Gas Well Fund.

“The design for the Adult Soccer Fields at North Lake will be done by Jacobs Engineering Group and will have four adult soccer f ields, parking and vehicular access to the new fields, as well as a restroom concession building. Design should be complete by winter 2010,” said Bob Tickner, the Parks and Recreation Planning superintendent, in a prepared statement.

Denton allocates a consid-erable amount of revenue

from the Parks and Recreation Department’s fees.

This year’s revenue budget showed that every member-ship fee associated with Parks and Recreation services was increased by $5 this year, and city soccer fields rental expenses saw an increase of as much as $50. The budget esti-mated an enhancement of more than $96,700 this year from increased Parks and Recreation fees.

A mong ot her proje c t s included in Denton’s 2009-2010 city revenue budget are a new water slide at the Water Park, costing $250,000, and land for a the new Senior Center, costing $150,000.

Spanning 351 acres, North Lakes includes a 17,417-square-foot Recreation Center equipped with a gymnasium and weight room, two lakes, three lighted football fields, 12 lighted soccer

New adult-sized soccer � elds are soon to be built in an area devoted to bird watching at North Lake Park in Denton.PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY MARIA WEBSTER/PHOTOGRAPHER

fields, a sand volleyball court, golf driving range and a runway for radio-controlled aircraft.

“It’s exciting to hear they’re building more full-scale fields,” said Jay Key, a social sciences

senior. “The indoor intramural fields on campus don’t satisfy my cravings.”

Texas weather to see sunny skies, reach mid to upper 70s

Police � nd body parts in bagsACAPULCO, Mexico (AP)

— The pre-dawn discovery of two bodies cut into pieces and shoved into two black bags brought a tragic end Monday to a search for two missing police officers in the southern state of Guerrero.

L aw en forcement of f i-cials say the bagged body parts were found at 3:15 a.m. outside police headquarters in Guerrero’s capita l cit y, Chilpancingo.

One of the victims was a reg iona l comma nder, t he other a state police officer. Notes written on yellow cards were attached to the bags, but

police refused to disclose what they said. Drug cartel killers frequently attach messages to bodies.

In t he nearby resort of Acapulco, police later found another two mutilated bodies and a threatening message outside the house of the city’s former deputy traffic police chief.

The victims were identified as the former deputy chief’s nephews, the Guerrero state Public Safety Department said in a statement.

Police also found a message threatening supporters of the Beltran Leyva cartel, it said.

(AP) – Sunny skies and warm temperatures were expected statewide on Tuesday, just two days after an unseasonable north Texas snowfall ushered in the Texas spring, according to t he Nat iona l Weat her Service.

Texas isn’t through with snow yet, as more snow is ex pected Wednesday a nd Thursday in the Panhandle. For now, through, spring has sprung in the Lone Star State.

Skies will be clear to partly cloudy across the state Tuesday, with temperatures reaching the mid- to upper 70s in most of the state. Highs will be in the 80s in West and south Texas. Winds will be southerly 15-20 mph with guts to 20 mph.

Skies on Tuesday night will be partly to mostly cloudy with lows in the 50s, except for 40s in West and far east Texas and 30s in the Panhandle. Southerly winds will diminish to 5-10 mph.

Police officers have been targets, and are sometimes complicit, in drug-related killings, which have claimed 17,900 lives since President Felipe Calderon stepped up the drug war in December 2006.

On Sunday, Rodrigo Medina, governor of the northern state of Nuevo Leon, announced that he was f iring 81 state police officers suspected of corruption.

A lso in Nuevo Leon on Sunday, the police chief of the city of Santa Catarina n a r r ow l y av oide d b ei ng kil led by gunmen believed to be connected to drug traf-fickers.

The assailants attacked a convoy of vehicles carrying Police Chief Rene Casti l lo Sanchez and other authori-ties shortly after the arrest of severa l suspected drug dealers.

One of Sanchez’s body-guards was killed and three people in the convoy were wounded, said a police spokes-woman who, under depart-ment rules, was not authorized to give her name.

The Mexican military set up a checkpoint between Acapulco and the city’s airport Sunday evening after a man was killed in a shootout between gunmen riding in separate vehicles.

The gunbattle followed the deaths of five men who pulled guns on each other during an early morning fight that began as an argument at a wedding Saturday night.

Sunny skies are expected for Tuesday, but more snow may fall for Wednesday and Thursday in Texas.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE

Sports Page 5

Justin Umberson, Sports Editor ntdaily.sports@gmail.com

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

KISSIMMEE, Fla. (AP) — Jaime Garcia is making a strong bid for a spot in the St. Louis Cardinals’ rotation.

Garcia threw four crisp innings, David Freese and Joe Mather hit their first spring homers and a Cardinals split-squad beat the Houston Astros 6-4 on Monday.

Garcia, who missed last season after undergoing recon-structive left elbow surgery, allowed one run and two hits in relief of Kyle Lohse.

He has yielded two runs while striking out 15 in 12 2-3 innings over four outings this spring.

“My arm feels awesome,” he said. “It feels better than it has ever felt. I did everything I could in the offseason. Finally now I feel like everything is paying off. It’s feeling good and everything is going the way it’s supposed to go.”

Garcia is competing with non-roster invitee Rich Hill and Kyle McClellan for the final spot in the rotation behind Chris Carpenter, Adam Wainwright, Lohse and Brad Penny.

Garcia was thought to be a long shot for the spot because of the surgery, but his success has put him in a close race with McClellan while Hill has strug-gled.

“I thought Garcia really composed h is del iver y,” manager Tony La Russa said. “He wasn’t rushing or flying all over the place. He was impres-sive. This is the beginning of the next to last week. So every-thing you do now has extra significance. He added another credential to his spring training resume.”

Lohse worked five innings in his fourth spring start.

He gave up three runs and eight hits, struck out two and walked one.

“There are some things I

would have done differently if it was a regular-season game,” he said. “But you don’t want to show all your stuff to a team that you’re going to be facing four times. I felt like I did what I needed to do to get my work in and got out of it relatively unscathed.”

Freese, competing to be the starting third baseman, has been having a so-so spring but he finished with two hits and three RBIs against Houston.

La Russa said Freese has been trying to do too much.

“Here in the last three or four games, David looks more like himself,” he said. “I would be disappointed if they didn’t press when they have a chance to make the big league club. But he’s getting more settled into it. David’s at-bats are getting better.”

Ryan Ludwick also doubled twice and drove in two runs for the Cardinals, giving him 11 RBIs this spring.

Astros left-hander Wandy Rodriguez had one of his worst outings, allowing five runs and seven hits over four innings. He has a 9.69 ERA in four starts.

“I need to prepare more because I don’t want to pitch like that,” Rodriguez said. “I need to work on all my pitches because I missed a lot of my spots.”

Carlos Lee went 3 for 3 and drove in a run for Houston. Pedro Feliz hit his second spring homer.

Geoff Blum started at short-stop as the Astros look for options with Tommy Manzella sidelined by a strained quad-riceps.

Blum looked pretty comfort-able, making a nice barehanded pickup and strong throw to rob Felipe Lopez of an infield hit in the fourth.

Blum has played just 17

BY BEN BABYStaff Writer

UNT’s track and field team started the outdoor season in stride at the Horned Frog Invitational on Friday in Fort Worth with many winners, including more than a dozen top-three finishers.

The meet was t he f i rst outdoor meet of the year, in which the Mean Green carried over momentum from the indoor season t hat ended Feb. 28.

“It was a very good opening meet for us,” head coach Rick Watkins said. “I thought we competed very hard.”

Ju n ior P a t r ic k St r on g f inished f irst in the men’s 3 , 0 0 0 -m e t e r r u n , w h i l e freshman Matt Russ finished third in the men’s 1,500-meter run.

Freshman Justin Anderson was one of t he top men’s performers Friday. With a time of 10.22 seconds, Anderson finished second in the men’s 100-meter dash, which was .02 seconds off the top spot. Anderson also finished second in the 200-meter dash.

“Coach Sammy Dabbs works on us when outdoor season came, so we was ready for it,” Anderson said.

The men’s 4-by-100-meter relay team, which included sophomore Keyth Talley, was disqualified, as they dropped the baton during a critical exchange. The men finished second i n t he 4-by-40 0-meter relay behind Texas Christian.

“We just didn’t get the last exchange down,” Watkins said. “We’ll continue working on that. I’m not really too worried about that, unless it keeps happening. We’ll make some adjust ments a nd get t hat fixed.”

The women’s team also had

UNT opens outdoor season with strong start

a solid showing at the invi-tat iona l. Juniors Brit ta ny Blaylock and Brittani Simmons finished second and third in the women’s 200-meter dash. Blaylock, Simmons, junior A lysha Adams and junior Missy Barnes were the winning women’s 4-by-100-meter relay team, winning with a time of 45.27 seconds.

S e n ior A s h le y A u s t i n finished fifth in the women’s long jump, and was the top Mean Green performer in the event. Austin said at practice Monday that consistency is going to be critical throughout the outdoor season.

“I feel like if you can have one good jump once a year, and then you don’t ever hit

t hat ma rk aga in... to me it’s just kind of counts for nothing,” Austin said.

The team was coming off of a rough stretch over the break, during which it continually practiced.

“I think that big thing that we wanted to see them do is compete hard, even if they’re a little tired from the week,

and they did that,” Watkins said. “They did a great job of that.”

UNT also had to cope with the transition from the indoor competition to the outdoor competition.

“It’s a big difference for me, and it shouldn’t be a big difference for me, but it is,” Austin said.

T h e H o r n e d F r o g Invitational was supposed to take place Saturday. However, because of t he inclement weather, the event moved up to Friday.

The Mean Green will try to provide another strong show ing Sat u rday at t he A rl ing ton Inv itat iona l in Arlington.

games at shortstop over the last three seasons.

He also could start at first on opening day if Lance Berkman still is out following left knee surgery.

“With Tommy being down a few days, we just want to make

sure,” manager Brad Mills said. “We’re going to see (Edwin) Maysonet over there, (Jeff ) Keppinger. (Blum’s) got good hands and a good arm. His experience and being able to position himself where he needs to be should help his range.”

Senior Shelley Hollingsworth releases a javelin throw at the Michael Johnson Open at Baylor University. The UNT track and � eld team opened its outdoor season Friday in Fort Worth.PHOTO BY SAVANNAH BOYD/FILE

Cardinals’ Garcia shuts out Astros“You don’t want to show all

your stuff to a team that you’re going to be facing four times. I felt like I did what I needed to do to get my work in and got out of it relatively unscathed.”

—Jaime Garcia, Cardinals’ pitcher

t hat some-t h i ng good would come of the dismal end to Reynolds’ stellar career. D o w n t h e corridor, his c o a c h w a s already posi-t ion i ng t he loss as such, as a baptism f o r u n d e r-classmen who, t heir coach c o n t e n d e d , committed the sin of hubris too often in a season that e n d e d a s horrifically as it started spec-tacularly.

“Sometimes we’d be talking to them and they’d say, ‘That’s all right, coach, same thing happened last year,’” Wright said. “I said, ‘No, this is a different team.’ “

He sounded particularly frus-trated with the two juniors, the Coreys, Fisher and Stokes. Had they taken the last two seasons for granted? Wright seemed to think so.

He had tried all the tricks to get his team’s attention. When the Wildcats won 20 of their first 21 games, he told them they weren’t as good as their record said they were. When they lost five of their last seven heading into the NCAA Tournament, he told them they weren’t that bad. He used Reynolds and Reggie Redding as liaisons, even made an example of Reynolds after he and Fisher violated team policy in preparation for the Robert Morris game.

This was troubling on a few fronts. Mostly it was troubling because Reynolds was often

described as the one player buying in, the one true leader, Wright’s soul mate. By rooming him with freshman guard Maalik Wayns on the road, the coach was looking for the same big-brother guidance that Randy Foye and Mike Nardi had once provided Reynolds.

“If you do the right thing, things will fall into place for you,” Reynolds said. “I’ve always put my faith in coach Wright.”

Reynolds and Redding were asked to carry the message this season. Like the coach, they found it to be muted and diluted by the team’s early success. Reynolds sighed heavily when the team issues of the season came up again late Saturday, and you couldn’t help wonder if it had taken a toll on him.

Wright said it had. Reynolds did too much coaching, he said, might have even used himself up on the practice court to set an example to freshmen like Wayns and Dominic Cheek.

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SportsPage 6 Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Justin Umberson, Sports Editor ntdaily.sports@gmail.com

BY SEAN GORMANSenior Staff Writer

OKLAHOMA CITY — After notching the most single-season wins in school history and winning its second Sun Belt Conference title, the UNT men’s basketball team’s historic season ended in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

The Mean Green (24-9, 13-5) stayed competitive early on but was then overwhelmed by the heavily favored Kansas State Wildcats (27-7, 11-5) in a 82-62 loss Thursday.

“I’d like to commend our guys on having the type of season that we had and the effort we put forth all game today,” head coach Johnny Jones said. “We played extremely hard on every second of every play for the entire game, and that makes me proud.”

After the first five minutes where junior forward George Odufuwa kept the Mean Green close by scoring its first eight points, the Wildcats separated themselves with a 12-3 run.

“Give the Mean Green credit, its tough to tell how talented a team is only from film, but we knew that it would be a challenge for us when we saw them play this year,” Wildcat head coach Frank Martin said. “They showed how strong of a team they are today.”

Overwhelmed by a tall and athletic KSU defense, UNT strug-gled from the field, connecting on five of the 24 first half shot attempts.

“They’re a very long team that knows how to put pressure on its opponents,” junior guard Josh White said. “They do everything

Dream season comes to a close for Mean Green

Reynolds’ Wildcat career ends in second-round loss

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (MCT) — He looked like a man bit in half, his eyes glassed over, staring out, upward, staring at nothing really.

“Something good is going to come from this,” Scottie Reynolds said, finally, searching for that sliver of silver that always has underwritten his inspired and inspiring life, has always somehow forged into gold.

Not this time. Not this year.Reynolds not only couldn’t

save the Wildcats from them-selves this time around, he prob-ably did them in more than anyone. Down the stretch of an increasingly desperate season, when he was needed the most, there was little jump and even less juice in his game.

Thirteen makes, 39 misses in his final four games. Five three-point shots made in the last 25 attempted. Two-for-11 from the field in Saturday’s 75-68 upset loss to 10th-seeded Saint Mary’s.

“The last two games I was just going too fast,” he said. “I just probably needed to slow down a little bit. Probably too urgent to get a shot.”

He was sitting by himself now, the waves of reporters come and gone, the small tear that slid down his cheek when asked about the whole four years and his relationship with Jay Wright long wiped away. He started talking about fixing that urgency, about waking up and getting to the Davis Center on Villanova’s campus the way he always did when things like this occurred.

He stopped himself in midsen-tence, as the reality of his plight again slammed into those thoughts.

“It sucks,” he said.There was no fix this time,

nothing to hold on to except that one immeasurable tenet,

Trying to get into shooting range, senior forward Eric Tramiel pushes hard on Kansas State’s defense. Despite e� orts by the Mean Green, Kansas State won 62-82 in the � rst round of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday in Oklahoma City.

PHOTO BY RYAN BIBB/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Villanova head coach Jay Wright can’t believe a foul call on one of his players against St. Mary’s in the second round of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament.

PHOTO COURTESY OF RON CORTES/PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER/MCT

Junior forward George Odufuwa reaches up trying to get the ball past Kansas State. UNT advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the second time since 2007.

PHOTO BY RYAN BIBB/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

they can to make it real tough to score.”

Most of the Mean Green offense came from the free-throw line, as UNT scored 23 of its points on foul shots.

UNT showed some life after making its first two shots to open the second half, but Kansas State had an answer for every Mean Green run.

“They’re very fast and very physical,” junior guard Tristan Thompson said. “They kept coming at us, and we took some punches. We kept coming back, but they kept throwing them.”

After the Mean Green cut the lead from 26 to 14 points with five minutes remaining, the Wildcats showed their resilience, scoring six points in the next 68

Kansas State ends UNT’s

winning streak

“I’d like to commend our guys on having the type of season

that we had and the effort we put forth all game today.”

—Johnny Jones, head coach

points on 1-10 shooting.“They did a great job on me,”

White said. “I didn’t get enough shots where I was in a good posi-tion.”

Recording 10 blocks and

outscoring UNT 46-21 in the paint, KSU dominated down low from start to finish.

The Mean Green had not lost since Jan. 30, winning 11 games in that time.

seconds.“I wasn’t very happy with our

guys for letting that run happen near the end of the game for no reason, but we did a good job recovering soon enough,” Martin said.

Thompson was the only UNT player to thrive in the spotlight, scoring 28 points on 7-15 shooting

while making all 10 of his free throws.

“What can you say about those guys? They’re No. 7 in the country,” Thompson said. “They did an outstanding job at containing us all game.”

The Wildcats’ suffocating defense had more success against White, who was held to three

Sports Page 7

Justin Umberson, Sports Editor ntdaily.sports@gmail.com

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

By Ben BaByStaff Writer

Every March, a usually calm species of canine becomes a fierce force to be reckoned with. These hounds can inspire and excite people, while they cause severe stress to one’s mind and wallet.

No matter how much joy or anguish they may have caused basketball fans, it makes the first four days of the tourna-ment something to cherish.

This spring, underdogs have caused a major mess in the NCAA men’s basketball tourna-ment. These dogs have brought tiny schools to national promi-nence while at the same time cremating brackets across the nation.

When tournament time rolled around, my family decided it would be a good time to go down to San Antonio. Being one of my last family vacations, I figured I would just go.

While my family went to SeaWorld, I stayed in the hotel room, eating leftover food from Chuy’s and watching 12 hours of basketball. Thankfully, there was a break for the 5 o’clock news, which gave me time to shower and grab dinner.

Don’t judge. Schools like Murray State,

Ohio and St. Mary’s made for an unforgettable weekend, making the phrase March Madness anything but hyper-bole. Many predicted a few upsets here and there, but

as the first round ended, the dreams of a perfect bracket had been dashed.

Good thing I had Kansas losing in the Sweet 16.

This year, I thought I’d go against the grain and pick Villanova to win it all. Personally, I liked the back-court of Scottie Reynolds and Corey Fisher.

When they went down to the wire against Robert Morris, I saw my whole bracket go down in flames. It braced me for their second-round letdown against St. Mary’s.

Unfortunately, I was forced to watch the UNT-Kansas State game on my laptop, since Baylor and Sam Houston State were playing at the same time. Thankfully, the Bears were able to pull it out in the end, because I couldn’t spare any more first-round casualties.

I’m not going to lie: I didn’t pick the Mean Green to win its opening round match-up. K-State is a good team, and watching Wildcats guard Jacob Pullen silence the UNT comeback in the second half was tough to stomach, but I wouldn’t call it unexpected.

With the Sweet 16 starting Thursday, my bracket could be in much better shape.

Instead of stressing over how the rest of the tournament is going to play out, I am just going to enjoy the rest of the games and watch the under-dogs like the Gaels and the Big Red attempt the incon-ceivable.

It should be a fun two weeks.

By eric JohnsonSenior Staff Writer

Despite the frosty temper-ature and its top player being out with an injury, the UNT tennis team (8-5) put the Lamar Cardinals (8-6) on ice with a 5-1 victory on Sunday in Denton.

Sophomore Irina Paraschiv was unable to compete because of a cist on her left hand, but the Mean Green showed its mental toughness as it battled through the adversity to domi-nate a scrappy Cardina ls lineup.

“Lamar is the type of team we used to struggle against,” associate head coach Jef f Maren said. “I think we really showed our growth in this match. We looked like profes-sionals. We never got frustrated when things didn’t go our way, we stayed focused and took them out of their game.”

For the first time in her you ng c a reer, f resh ma n Barbora Vykydalova played from the No. 1 position in the singles lineup. Vykydalova lost a challenging two-set match against Lamar’s Mariaryeni Gut ierrez, who has been nationally ranked consistently in her four-year career and has not lost a match this season.

“She is such a talented player. No one on our team has beaten her in four years,” Maren said. “Barbora matched up well, and I think given another opportu-nity she could beat her.”

The Mean Green did not drop a set in its other five match-ups, and sophomore Paula Dinuta continued her dominant play. Dinuta seized control of the match from the opening point en route to a 6-1, 6-2 win. The victory marked Dinuta’s fourth in a row, which

includes UNT’s only win against No. 29 Georgia Tech.

“I have had problems before getting too frus-trated, but now I a m able to control that and use it aga inst my opponent,” Dinuta said. “I have really gotten a lot more confi-dent, and I just trust my game now.”

Playing in her fifth match after a mont h-long absence, junior Narine Kazarova was able to shake away the rust that slowed her early in t he season. The fiery compet-itor crushed her opponent 6 -1, 6-2.

“Na r i ne ha s rea l ly reded i-cated herself, and this is the type of player that we knew she could be,” Maren said. “She is such an imposing pres-ence and that is what drew us to her, and we are really starting to see that come out again.”

After a brutal four-week stretch against six nationally ranked opponents, the UNT players are ready for all chal-lengers.

“Everyone is ready to play and excited to play no matter who it is against,” Dinuta said.

Mean Green downs Cardinals

Opinion

Script: Underdogs spoiling brackets

“We are very confident and are not intimidated by anyone. We have really gotten mentally tougher, and I think that will make us better at the end of the season.”

UNT w i l l welcome t he U T-A r l i ng ton Mav er ic k s at 3 p.m. Wednesday to the

Waranch Tennis Complex. The Mean Green last played the Mavericks in 2008 and earned a decisive 7-0 victory.

“We expect a war,” Maren said. “They have a lot of talented players, and we get a battle every time we play them.”

Junior Shannon MacKenzie returns volleys to her partner during practice at the Warranch Tennis Complex. The Mean Green beat Lamar 5-1 on Sunday.

Photo by Eric Johnson/sEnior staff WritEr

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Text “GIBILL” to 99702 or visit www.gibill.va.gov for more information.Standard Message and Data Rates May Apply

Arts & LifePage 8 Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Amber Arnold, Arts & Life Editor ntdailylife@gmail.com

BY KATIE GRIVNASenior Staff Writer

When Britney Caldwell, an electrical engineering senior, bega n ta k ing eng ineering classes, she would only see one or two other girls a day in her class, which intimidated her when she was a freshman, she said.

Now, Caldwell is the presi-dent of the UNT chapter of the Society of Women Engineers, an organization that encour-ages women and girls to study engineering, offers profes-sional networking and helps women develop skills they will need in the engineering field, she said.

“It’s a real ly good thing k now i ng t here a re ot her people there that are going through your same situation,” she said.

As of fall 2009, there were 1,901 undergraduate and grad-uate students in the College of Engineering, 244 of whom were women, said Christopher Heiden, assistant director of academic services.

Group encourages female engineering students

Once a month, members of the organization meet with industry professionals who talk about various aspects of business and engineering.

One of the best things about the group is talking to other women, both professionals and peers, about their interest in engineering as well as their

struggles and goals, Caldwell said.

Talking to young girls about engineering is also important because most girls don’t see

it as a possibility for a career, she said.

“We think it is very impor-tant to show them all their options,” Caldwell said.

Members from the Society of Women Engineers taught sixth, seventh and eighth grade girls a graphical program-ming language called Alice at the Expanding Your Horizons conference Feb. 20 to show the girls one of the fun sides of engineering, she said.

The society is also open to men and has three to five male members, Caldwell said.

It’s cool to have guys who are willing to help encourage women to pursue engineering, she said.

M e m b e r s p r a c t i c e d networking, and on April 13, they will put their new exper-tise to test for a networking night with industry profes-sionals, Caldwell said.

Melissa Soto, a construc-tion junior and vice president of the group, said the UNT Society of Women Engineers acts as a stepping stone to help

women and girls prepare to work in a predominantly male industry.

“It gets girls used to what we’re going to have to deal with and how to work when we get outside of college,” she said.

T h e U N T S o c i e t y o f Women Engineers teamed up w it h members of t he UNT A merican Societ y of Heat ing, A ir-condit ioning and Refrigeration Engineers last month to win the student orga n i z at ion d iv ision of C A Nstruct ion, a competi-tion in which different teams built structures out of canned foods.

The team built a bridge complete with holiday lights, said Stephanie Howbert, an electrical engineering senior and professional relations chair for the group.

The group will collect elec-tronics to recycle as a fund-raiser during Earth Week, April 19 to 23.

For more information, visit www.swe.org.

Melissa Soto, a construction engineering junior, is vice-president of UNT’s Society of Women Engineers. The organization helps prepare students for the real world through networking and workshops.

PHOTO BY CRISTY ANGULO/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

PORTLAND, Texas (AP) — Some space invaders at Sunset Lake Park aren’t going to be easy to stop, said Christian Saenz, 15.

It’s not aliens from outer space, the freshman at Corpus Christi’s Moody High School chuckled.

“It’s invasive shrubs,” he said.

A b out 6 0 I n nov at ion Academy students from Moody used Global Positioning System and Geographic Information

System devices last month to pinpoint salt cedar for the Sunset Lake Invaders project.

They are helping biologists fight the plants.

In August, the students will present a recommendation to Portland City Council to rid the park of the nuisance, said Auburn Carpenter, education projects manager for Texas State Aquarium.

Christian held a piece of blue paper behind a plant sprig for classmate Anthony Yturria, 14,

to snap a close-up photo to compare in a database.

“You can’t burn them or dig them out,” Christian said about the bushes clustered throughout the 333.15-acre wetland preserve between Nueces and Corpus Christi bays. “They have roots 50 feet deep, and if you leave one piece, the whole thing grows back.”

Innovation Academy is a Corpus Christi Independent School District program for engineering, environmental

and marine sciences studies that started three years ago. The aquarium received a $13,000 grant from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Ad m i n ist rat ion’s Coasta l Service Center for the Sunset Lake project, Carpenter said.

Salt cedars are clustered along the 2-mile hike and bike trail along the park’s salt-water marsh, and each tree slurps about 200 gallons of water daily, Carpenter said. The plant native to Eurasia

and Africa was introduced in North America in the 1800s as an ornamental plant.

Along coastlines, it keeps native species from thriving.

“They can dry up the marsh entirely during drought times,” she said.

Salt cedar gets its name from leaving salty residue in soil.

“After eradication, we have to work on the soil to recover other plant life,” Carpenter said.

Most communities estab-

lish long-term plans, which include combinations of herbi-cide treatment and introducing beetles that eat the foliage, she said.

“Using beetles to defoliate the plant before it reproduces helps most,” she said.

The students know that they are setting the foundation for a long-term plan, said Cristian Carlos, 15.

“This project has value,” he said. “We like knowing we’re helping solve problems.”

Students fight against invasive plants at public park

Arts & Life Page 9

Amber Arnold, Arts & Life Editor ntdailylife@gmail.com

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Honors College to host annual fundraising eventBY JESSICA PAULStaff Writer

In an effort to help students and the UNT community get a leg-up in the professional world, the Honors College will host its first Great Conversations! event from 6:30 to 9 tonight at the Gateway Ballroom.

Gloria Cox, the dean of Honors College, said the event is high-profile because of the list of speakers expected to attend, which includes doctors, reporters, sculptors and a winery owner.

“We’ve been very impressed that people that we have not seen at any of our events before have signed up for this event,” Cox said.

Those who attend the event will have the opportunity to sit down and talk to the speakers after a casual dinner.

Cox said the event was put together after she heard about other Texas universities hosting similar events.

“We had heard about other universities that do them, but the idea was pioneered by the University of Texas at San Antonio,” Cox said. “They were quite positive of our having a Great Conversations! event because, of course, we’re more than 300 miles away from them. So they were happy to

be supportive of us.”St udent s a re welcome

to attend, but Cox said few students have purchased tickets. The event is open to all members of the UNT commu-nity, Denton residents and people from the surrounding cities.

“We had someone in our office attend the event at UTSA

and tell us it’s a lot of fun,” Cox said. “So we’re hoping and plan-ning for this to be our annual fundraising event.”

Blake Windham, a biology junior and member of the Honors College, plans to help tonight.

“I’m really glad that we brought this together because

it’s going to help out with the Honors College scholarship fund, and it’s going to help fund certain events that we do throughout the year,” Windham said. “I’m really glad to help out with it because it’s a good event to raise money for a particular college.”

Windham said students should attend because the event hosts different notable guests from various fields of the professional world.

“There’s different types of people and their specialties, and to be able to sit down with them and talk to them about what they actually do, and how they apply what they’ve learned throughout their career, it’s an invaluable tool,” Windham said.

Cox said the event is impor-tant for the Honors College because it publicizes what is going on at the college and acts as a fundraiser.

“Every program can always use publicity, and we love the idea of letting other people in the community know what we’re doing, and that the Honors College is here, trying to accomplish a lot of things for our students,” Cox said.

For more in for mat ion, contact Nicole Newland at 940-565-3305.

BY CHRISTINA MLYNSKIStaff Writer

Paul Yachnin will focus on modern theater to discuss his theory that art and entertain-ment are founding points to shape how the public inter-prets changes in society.

Y a c h n i n , To m l i n s o n professor of Sha kespea re Studies at McGill University, wil l present his work at a lecture from 3:30 to 5 p.m. Thursday in Wooten Ha l l 122.

“We tend to think that when we see art it’s mere recre-ation, and I want to argue that we are underestimating the social and political value of the kind of things that we do,” Yachnin said. “Art, enter-tainment, these are politically meaningful.”

At 14, Yachnin discovered his calling in life — he was going to be a Shakespeare professor, he said.

As the years progressed, he established himself in the literary realm by helping to create the McGill Institute for the Public Life of Arts and Ideas, publishing his book, “Stage-Wrights,” and founding the Making Publics Project.

The project brings together a wide range of disciplines

that develop a new under-standing of social and political levels in art by raising ques-tions about how the public is formed, Yachnin said.

“In an age where we are bombarded with political rhet-oric and issues, the best skill someone could have is to be a good questioner,” said Kevin Curran of the English faculty. “Shakespeare helps us navi-gate the world questionably by helping us to become good, skeptical people.”

At the lecture, Yachnin will discuss how the theater creates a new language, the components of the discov-ered language, the kind of people who use the language that established a vocabu-lary for working-class people, and all of this intertwines to form a political critique, he explained.

Megan Trotter, an English language senior, is eager to attend the lecture because she has always been drawn to the elegance and timeless-ness of Shakespeare’s work, she said.

“I just hope to learn more about how Shakespearean theater shaped the public around him. Paul Yachnin makes Shakespeare and his

Paul Yachnin, Tomlinson professor of Shakespeare Studies at McGill University, will present his work at a lecture from 3:30 to 5 p.m. Thursday in Wooten Hall 122. PHOTO COURTESY OF PAUL YACHNIN

Shakespearean professor challenges society

early modern works come alive and if students attend they will see that the works by Shakespeare, although they were written years ago, are still applicable today,” Trotter said.

T h e E n g l i s h d e p a r t-ment set up the event with the collaboration of Curran and Jacqueline Vanhoutte, who asked Yachnin to speak because he is a public intel-lectual who attracts a variety

of indiv iduals to broaden their understanding of the Renaissance, Curran said.

“I want faculty, graduates and undergraduates to have a sense that this area of studies is not just confined to the

classroom. Shakespearean studies is a thriving interna-tional discipline all around the world doing interesting work, and it increases interest levels into what we can do at our level,” Curran said.

“I’m really glad to help out with

it because it’s a good event

to raise money for a particular

college.”—Blake Windham

Biology junior

ViewsPage 10 Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Josh Pherigo, Views Editor ntdailyviews@gmail.com

Wonks and nerds, rejoice. People with lives can play, too. C-SPAN, that faithful recorder of all things Congress and much more, has put 23 years’ worth of video programs online.

T hat ’s 160,000 hou rs. Searchable. For free.

Not as entertaining as YouTube or Hulu, you say? Arguably, it’s better. Being able to watch government in action is essen-tial to an informed citizenry in an open democracy.

And if you think no one cares about how government works, consider that the “most popular” program on C-SPAN’s Web site is a fairly tedious daily briefing in April by White House press secretary Robert Gibbs that had more than 662,000 hits Thursday. A Senate Budget Committee markup from March 2009 had almost 606,000 hits.

C-SPAN launched the library Wednesday, during Sunshine Week, an annual observance focusing on government trans-parency. Although independent

of government, C-SPAN shines a vital light on the three branches, largely with their cooperation.

By Thursday, more than 9,000 viewers had searched for Lt. Col. Oliver North’s July 1987 testi-mony before a joint congres-sional committee investigating the Iran-contra arms-for-hostages scheme.

A House Energ y a nd Commerce Committee hearing in February on the proposed merger of Comcast and NBC Universal was the second-most-viewed program, followed by 1972 video of President Richard Nixon’s visit to China.

The cable TV industr y started C-SPAN in 1979 to air direct views from the Capitol chambers, committee rooms, briefing rooms and other halls of the federal government. Now with three TV channels, radio and a data-rich Web site, C-SPAN provides an array of public affairs programming that includes interviews with politi-cians, policymakers and judges;

coverage of speeches, forums and events that networks might ignore; and analysis and call-in shows designed to shed light without distorting heat.

Many programs were already online. But the library makes digital video easily searchable and has links to transcripts, photos and other features.

There’s a “memorable moments” compilation that includes House Speaker Jim Wright resigning in 1989, House Speaker Newt Gingrich resigning in 1998, Supreme Court nomi-nees Robert Bork (1989) and Clarence Thomas (1991) testi-fying before the Senate Judiciary Committee, and even comedian Dana Carvey impersonating President George H.W. Bush at a 1992 White House Christmas party. (The president is shown in the audience laughing.)

You can even search to see how often your senator or repre-sentative has spoken on the floor and on what topics. Rep. Ted Poe, a Houston Republican,

for instance, has spoken a lot this session (159 days). Rep. Charlie Gonzalez, a San Antonio Democrat, not so much (once).

The value is immediate: being able to keep up with current events.

It’s also historical. Almost 3,000 people have

already watched Sen. Patricia Schroeder of Colorado announce that she wouldn’t run for presi-dent in 1988 after all.

She starts sunnily, then is choked with emotion, tearfully explaining that she doesn’t want to turn every interaction on the campaign trail into a photo op. She talks about Americans wanting nuclear threats reduced and the environment preserved, and families being able to thrive instead of struggle.

So much has changed. So much hasn’t. This video archive has much to teach us.

This editorial appeared in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram on Friday.

The Editorial Board includes: Shaina Zucker, Josh Pherigo, Rebecca Hoeffner, T.S. McBride, Melissa Boughton, Amber Arnold, Kip Mooney, Abigail Allen, Sydnie Summers, Brianne Tolj, Clinton Lynch, Justin Umberson, and David Williams.

Want to be heard?The NT Daily does not necessari-ly endorse, promote or agree with the viewpoints of the columnists on this page. The content of the columns is strictly the opinion of the writers and in no way re-flects the belief of the NT Daily.

The NT Daily is proud to present a variety of ideas and opinions from readers in its Views section. As such, we would like to hear from as many NT readers as possible. We invite readers of all creeds and back-grounds to write about whichever issue excites them, whether concerning politics, local issues,

ethical questions, philosophy, sports and, of course, anything exciting or controversial.Take this opportunity to make your voice heard in a widely read publication. To inquire about column ideas, submit columns or letters to the editor, send an e-mail to ntdailyviews@gmail.com

Note to Our Readers

NT Daily Editorial Board

Bill improves student loans

Health bill passed the wrong way

Editorial

{{{

Campus ChatHow do you feel about the

health care reform, and do you feel it will affect you?

“I feel that the government shouldn’t have any hand in health care at all. The more they try to fix it, the worse

it’s going to get.”

“To be honest, I really don’t know, but I can tell you

that I don’t like anything that moves us towards socialized health care.”

“I’m not really sure what is going on, even after

reading several stories on it today. I feel that it probably won’t affect me or at least

not right now.”

The U.S. House of Representatives passed the health care reform bill Sunday night as jubilant Democratic chants of “Yes We Can” echoed off the chamber walls.

After more than a year of entrenched political wran-gling amid promises of bipartisanship, the vote came down to a game of red vs. blue. All 178 Republicans and 34 Democrats voted no, while 219 Democrats voted in favor of the reform — three more than the required number to pass the bill.

President Barack Obama is expected to sign the bill into law today and that will be the end of that … right?

Not quite. Technically, when Obama signs the bill, the law will

be enacted, and the health care overhaul will commence. However, many of the House Democrats who voted for the bill didn’t agree with some of its provisions. They cast votes with the promise that certain agreed upon changes would be made in a follow-up Senate bill of fixes later this week.

Stay with us.To avoid a Republican filibuster, which would derail

those changes, Democratic leaders chose to fit the bill under a specialized piece of legislation intended for drastic fiscal reform. Because of that focused intent, they are giving it Reconciliation Bill status, which carries special rules, including the requirement of a simple majority for passage and a 20-hour limit on debate — preventing a filibuster.

What exactly does that mean for Americans? Because of the requirement to stick to policy reform

targeted at cutting the federal budget, several legislative actions were tacked on that seem to have little to do with health care at all.

Enter, federal student loan reform. The House included as a measure in its health care

vote Sunday a complete federal takeover of direct student lending. Private lenders will no longer be allowed to dish out federally-backed student loans, a move which lawmakers said will cut more than $60 billion from the budget over the next 10 years.

The Editorial Board cites lower interest rates, a gentler loan repayment plan and more access for lower income families to support our belief that this overhaul is good news for borrowing college-students.

By eliminating the private lending Federal Family Education Loan Program, the U.S. Department of Education will act as the lender to students and the money will be handled entirely by university financial aid offices, a move that will simplify the process.

Cutting out the middleman is a good idea because the private lending sector — which is backed by federal money — adds little to the convenience of obtaining those loans and adds nothing to the value of the actual dollars.

For cash-strapped college students the health care legisla-tive sausage grinder has produced a tasty piece of pork.

Sunday night the House passed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act with a stiflingly close vote of 219 for and 212 against, just a handful of votes more than required for passage.

Unfortunately, the bi l l passed with an absence of any bipartisanship, because all 178 Republicans and also 34 Democrats voted against the landmark legislation.

After the bill had narrowly passed the house, President Barack Obama made remarks that included, “We proved that this government — a government of the people and by the people — still works for the people.”

Obama has been campaigning on a platform of bipartisanship and transparency in govern-ment since long before he won the Democratic Presidential Primary, and his administra-tion has failed in both areas.

The latest CNN Opinion Research Poll from Friday to Sunday showed that an over-whelming majority of Americans — 59 percent — oppose the health care reform that passed while a meager 39 percent approved of it.

Although a majority of

Americans opposed this legis-lation for a significant time, Democrats pushed onward. They even decided to use reconcili-ation — a legislative sleight of hand of questionable legitimacy — to integrate the House and Senate versions of the health care bills requiring only 51 Senate votes instead of 60.

Democratic leaders like Nancy Pelosi, the speaker of the House, even considered using a “Slaughter Solution” which would have had the Senate version of the health care reform bill passed without a direct vote.

Instead of using that method, Democrats twisted the arms of those who were opposed to it like Representative Dennis Kucinich, D-Ohio, because it lacked a public option. He received special treat-ment aboard Air Force One from the President who managed to persuade him.

Representative Bart Stupak, D-Mich., received attention with his demand for a guarantee that federal money would not fund abortions in exchange for his support. However, he conceded when Obama said that the exec-utive order that already prevents this would be in place.

However, this order could

be changed at any time and is not as withstanding as Stupak’s amendment would have been.

Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott, stated he is in prepara-tion with between 10 and 30 or more other states to file a lawsuit claiming that parts of the health care reform are unconstitutional. They are primarily focusing on the mandate within the bill requiring nearly every individual to purchase health insurance that is approved by the federal government starting in 2014 or face a monetary penalty.

In addition to the ambiguity over the constitutionality of the bill, its unpopularity with the American people, the various kickback controversies to garner hesitant Democrats’ votes and the mandates being imposed on everyone, the “reform” will also put greater strain on the mounting national debt.

This bill is increasing taxes and raising the federal deficit tremendously in the middle of a struggling economy.

Although many Democrats claim that this bill will reduce the deficit, a New York Times Op-Ed explained how they are manipulating the numbers to make it appear to save us money.

They are intending to pay for it by taking from Medicare and using tax revenues for Social Security to help pay for the reform. Perhaps most deceiv-ingly, the bill accounts for 10 years of revenue to pay for six years of the reform.

Now please do not get me wrong, I think that health care reform is important. There are too many problems with our current health care market, but one-fifth of our economy is too important to get so wrong and changed as controversially as it was.

Trayton Oakes is a political science and economics junior. He can be reached at TraytonOakes@my.unt.edu.

Patti MayoStudio photography

sophomore

Tim MerrillMath freshman

Daniel Munro Pre-biology freshman

C-SPAN archives provide gov’t clarity

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Arts & LifePage 12 Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Amber Arnold, Arts & Life Editor ntdailylife@gmail.com

UNT students enhance résumés with blogsBY GRACIELA RAZOSenior Staff Writer

Once known as an online diary, blogging has now become a way for students to advance themselves in their professional fields.

In addition to keeping up with résumés, GPAs and internship possibilities, UNT students are now blogging to keep up with an ever-changing job market.

Web sites such as WordPress.com, Blogger.com and Tumblr.com give students options of what kind of blog to use and layout styles.

“What has happened in the course of the last couple of years is blogs have become so frequently used by so many kinds of individuals and now compa-nies that they have become part of the mainstream part of the Internet,” said Neil Foote of the journalism faculty.

People used to think of blogs as posts about trivial things rather than serious, legitimate news and business posts, Foote said.

Now, c ompa n ie s a nd consumers are recognizing

them as a valid source for news, conversation and community, he said.

Blogs such as conserva-tive columnist Matt Drudge’s Drudge Report and liberal blogger Arianna Huffington ‘s Huffington Post have pushed the medium in a helpful direc-tion for students to use them as online portfolios and networking

possibilities, Foote said. “It is a very convenient way

to showcase your work,” Foote said. “I encourage students to use it as a portfolio that can easily be found online by poten-tial employers.”

Foote said blogs are most helpful for students looking to work in the media and arts industries, but they can help

anyone looking to find future employers.

Departments at UNT also provide specialized blogs for each major to give students news about their degrees, upcoming events, and internship and job information.

Andrew DeCaen of the art faculty said his students are not only using blogs to show their

own work, but also to discuss and review other art exhibits and galleries they see in the area.

“They are using it as a point of discussion and talking about what is interesting to them to their peers and perspective gallerists,” DeCaen said.

By using it as an “avenue” to critique and comment on art,

students are finding another way to share their work, he said.

Yuki Cruse, a public relations senior, is keeping up with three separate blogs that are required for her classes on the Web site WordPress.com.

Cruse also runs a blog for the Public Relations Student Society of America, a public relations student organization at UNT.

Blogging a few times a week gives her extra writing prac-tice, adds to her credibility and gives her experience managing a professional blog, a skill needed for her future in the public rela-tions field, she said.

“Blogs are really impor-tant for PR because they create likeability and person-ality,” Cruse said. “It’s such an up-and-coming medium that the industry requires us to be knowledgeable about.”

Although Cruse is used to writing with just the facts in her field, she said getting practice with blogging gives her a chance to provide an actual person-ality behind the professional to clients and consumers. Many blog Web sites have provided a secondary source for many artists’ résumé

work to gain exposure.

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY INGRID LAUBACH/PHOTOGRAPHER

“Blogs are really important for PR because they create

likeability and personality.”—Yuki Cruse

Public Relations Senior

California to ban smoking at state parks, public beachesSACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP)

— California lawmakers on Monday moved a step closer to banning smoking at state beaches and parks, following the lead of hundreds of commu-nities nationwide.

The state Assembly voted 42-27 in favor of the ban. Anti-smoking groups say the bill would make California the first state to ban smoking throughout its entire park system if it is signed into law.

The Senate passed it previ-ously but must agree to amend-ments made in the Assembly before it is sent to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who has not taken a position on it.

The Assembly vote, taken without comment, came days after the bill failed to garner enough support, in part because about a dozen Democrats failed to vote last week.

The bill’s author, state Sen. Jenny Oropeza, D-Long Beach,

said she wants to keep ciga-rette butts out of the ocean, reduce the threat of wildfires at parks and eliminate second-hand smoke.

“Unfortunately, too many beach visitors are irrespon-sible with their smoking habit,” Oropeza said in a statement following the Assembly vote. “Our majestic beaches and parks have been marred by ciga-rette butts for far too long.”

Maine is the only other state

to ban smoking at its state beaches. Nationwide, nearly 100 cities prohibit smoking at beaches, while more than 400 local governments ban smoking at municipal parks.

No state bans smoking throughout its state parks, according to Americans for Nonsmokers’ Rights, a Berkeley-based nonprofit that tracks such bans.

Even if the bill becomes law, not all areas of a California

state park and beach would be smoke-free. Smokers could still light up in parking lots and campsites.

In Orange County, cities have banned smoking on their beaches but provided few ashtrays or receptacles for smokers to throw away their cigarettes, said Stephanie Barger, executive director at the nonprofit Earth Resource Foundation based in Costa Mesa.

“They find a lot less cigarette butts, so we do know (the ban’s) working,” she said. “However, there are still thousands of ciga-rettes littered every day.”

Under the California bill, smoking in prohibited areas would be an infraction punish-able with a $100 fine.

At least one tobacco company, C om monwe a lt h Br a nd s, opposes the ban, arguing it would infringe on smokers’ rights.