Skipper

Just a few hours after being introduced as North Texas’ new men’s basketball head coach, Grant McCasland sat down with members of the media one-on-one. Sporting his new Mean Green colors and a smile on his face, he discussed the future of the program he is inheriting. On interest in the North Texas job. “Growing up in this area and in this state, North Texas was one university that had basketball success,” McCasland said. “I played tournaments at the Super Pit and watched several recruiting events at the Super Pit. I watched college games there. My knowledge was more of a fan. But you look at jobs down the road that fit something you would be interested in, I thought it would be a cool opportunity to coach basketball [at North Texas]. I never thought it would be a reality.” On his Texas roots. “This is home,” McCasland said. “This area is. There’s not a lot of opportunities to be a head coach and be this close to family. All of my immediate family is within an hour from here. That’s awesome. It’s unreal. My whole family was here today. That’s as good as it gets. That’s the way we want our program to be modeled after. People that love each other unconditionally but hold each other accountable and tell the truth. That atmosphere is what’s vital to being a successful basketball program. On the similarities between Arkansas State and North Texas “I think North Texas had more recent success in the NCAA tournament,” McCasland said. “It’s very similar in some regards. Instilling a winning mindset in the current players is where I see the most similarities between the two.” On freshman guards Ryan Woolridge and A.J. Lawson. “The number one priority will be our players and investing in them,” McCasland said. “I want them to know they are loved and will be served, but will be held to a higher standard. We have a couple of freshman who have had extended playing time. You talk about two dynamic guards, that’s them. I’ve watched them both in summer basketball, anytime you have success in college basketball you have to have great guards. The guard play of those two are exciting.” On his message to frustrated fans. “You need to buy your tickets,” McCasland said. “You need to make trips early to the Super Pit so you can understand what you want to be a part of. We were lucky to take a team [Arkansas State] that averaged about 1,800 people over the last two seasons and average 4,000 a game last year. I would tell them there’s a history and we’ve been able to improve a team quickly. Come out and watch us quick. Guys will be fun to watch. They’ll play hard and play for each other. I know people appreciate basketball around here.” View Full Article

UNT regents plan to hire search firm to find new chancellor View Full Article

After winning a marathon in round one against the University of Alabama at Birmingham, North Texas women’s basketball was tasked with playing 24 hours later against No. 1 seed Western Kentucky University. But after falling short in the quarterfinals last season, the Lady Hilltoppers (25-6. 16-2) looked determined to not let history repeat itself, as Western Kentucky sent the Mean Green (12-19, 8-10) home with a 78-51 victory. “We gave it everything we had yesterday,” head coach Jalie Mitchell said. “And today I think that we [played well]. Western Kentucky is just better. They have two really great guards and we didn’t control them today.” Those two great guards are Kendall Noble and Tashia Brown, who combined for 43 points and 16 boards in the Lady Hilltoppers resounding victory. North Texas was out-rebounded 44-28 overall and 19-7 on the offensive glass, constantly giving Western Kentucky second chance opportunities. “We put them on the free throw line too many times and our rebounding was definitely an issue,” senior guard Candice Adams said. “ View Full Article

You know that weird feeling in your stomach when you know something isn’t right? Everything might seem okay Turns out, that was only the beginning of one of the worst campaigns in program history. Plagued by injuries, turnovers and poor offensive execution, the Mean Green finished the year 8-22 and said goodbye to head coach Tony Benford last weekend. I really do feel bad for Benford. He is an outstanding man. He took the time to get to know me this season, and I always enjoyed our chats in his office before and after interviews. Sadly, kindness does not win basketball games. Over the course of his five-year tenure, that was a recurring theme. Benford could never win the games that mattered. His teams, for whatever reason, always seemed to stumble, even when it looked like they were set up for success. Like this year. When this season began, Benford knew he had to win to save his job. The theme of the preseason press conference was “win now.” With a majority of his roster back, Benford thought he would have all the necessary puzzle pieces to string it together. He knew he had a preseason all-conference selection and a McDonald’s All-American ready to suit up for him. Then injuries came in and flipped the table, sending those same puzzle pieces flying. And while the injuries are unfortunate, Benford has no one to blame but himself. He put himself in this situation. In five years, none of his teams finished above the .500 mark. The Mean Green won only one conference tournament game under Benford and were a dismal 62-95 from 2012-2017. Over the years, Benford was given plenty of chances to make things work. But after five years with no real signs of progression on the court, the writing was on the wall. View Full Article

For the fourth time this season, 40 minutes was not enough for the Mean Green women’s basketball team. But for the first time, even a five-minute overtime period left the game tied. Finally, after 50 minutes of carnage and bedlam in a game where neither team led by more than eight, North Texas (12-18, 8-10) remained standing in a must-win game against the University of Alabama at Birmingham. The Mean Green were able to outlast UAB 65-62 in double-overtime in the first round of the Conference USA tournament to keep their season alive. North Texas advanced to play No. 1 seed Western Kentucky University Thursday in the quarterfinals. “We don’t give up, we put up a fight no matter what the scoreboard says,” senior forward Terra Ellison said. “Being 4-0 in overtimes this year shows that we put up a good fight and we’re going to win [in overtime].” Ellison posted a career-high 21 points while also bringing down 10 rebounds against the Blazers (15-15, 8-10). Sophomore guard Terriell Bradley scored 16 points and grabbed 11 rebounds while also sinking the final two free throws of the game to put the Mean Green up three with six seconds left in the second overtime. Both teams went cold to close out the game in the fourth quarter, combining to score just six points in the final 6:50 of play. View Full Article

Being the last competitors to hit the mat for their team, two UNT wrestlers know how to deal with pressure. In nearly every meet this season, the rest of the team looks to them in crunch time when everything is on the line. But that is no problem for sophomores Ikaika Neal and Joseph Arce. As the final weight classes to compete at every tournament, both Arce and Neal have been charged with bringing up the back and sealing the team’s fate with their performances. This happened recently with the Southwest Conference Championship when it came down to Neal and Arce to secure not only wins for themselves, but consecutive conference championships for UNT as well. The duo came through. When it was all said and done, Neal finished in second place in the 235-pound weight class while Arce took home the gold in the 285-pound division. “Pressure is how diamonds are made,” head coach Andre Metzger said. “I call these two my magical Chevys that take care of business and continue to push themselves even harder.” Currently ranked No. 18 and No. 10 in the nation respectively, Neal and Arce are gearing up for the national competition March 9-11 in Allen, Texas. And although the tandem are the leaders on the team, their journey to get to the pinnacle of college wrestling could not be more different. Wrestling since the age of four, Neal was hand-picked on the side of the road in Portland, Oregon where his first coach convinced his grandmother he needed to wrestle. “I was a really big kid and when [my coach] saw me he said ‘he looks like someone who can become a champion, you should get him into wrestling,’” Neal said. “I was four so I had no choice.” A simple decision made by his grandmother and a keen observation from his first coach sparked into a passion for Neal, who stuck with the sport until his family moved. Before his freshman year of high school, Neal’s family relocated to Mesquite, Texas, where they did not have a wrestling team in the district. As a result, Neal went four years without wrestling. Upon graduating high school, Neal came to UNT where he quickly joined the wrestling club — and got back to what he loves most. Arce, on the other hand, took a much different route to college wrestling than his fellow heavyweight. At the Optimist Gym in Denton, head coach Andre Metzger (middle) demonstrates different moves to the wrestling team. The team is heading to nationals this week, March 9, 2017 with 12 competitors (5 women, 7 men). Katie Jenkins View Full Article

Growth and toughness. Those two words embody what North Texas head tennis coach Sujay Lama wants to see from his team as their season winds down. In what’s been a challenging 2017 campaign — facing seven Power Five conference teams in 12 matches with players fighting through injuries — this young group has benefited from squaring off with some of the better teams in college tennis. The youngest squad in Conference USA, seven of North Texas’ eight players are either freshmen or sophomores. In five matches decided by one point, the Mean Green are only 1-4, with three of the losses coming against Power Five schools. And despite their 5-7 record, North Texas is determined to not let close losses keep them down. Even though they have had a slew of tough competition to start the season, players on the team are embracing the challenge of facing quality opponents. “When you lose the matches like that you learn something new,” sophomore Tamuna Kutubidze said. “I think it’s much better to lose those kind of matches than win easy matches.” Lama concurs, and said the bigger picture is more important than their record. “I hate losing,” Lama said. “Nobody likes to lose, but that’s why you have the big picture. What’s the big picture? It’s what happens at the end out there, giving ourselves a chance to win the conference championship, play in the postseason. That’s what it’s all about.” Unlike some other sports, all 14 tennis teams in C-USA are granted entry into the conference tournament regardless of their dual season record. Season records only determine seeding, with the top two seeds receiving a first-round bye. In order to put his team in the best position to win a conference title in April, Lama said he must challenge his players with a formidable slate of matches in the months prior to the conference tournament. That way once they’re in the tournament, they’ll be ready for the best C-USA has to offer. But things won’t get much easier in conference play. C-USA is home to five top-125 athletes and plenty of other quality competition. Fortunately for the Mean Green, one of the conference’s best players resides on their own roster. In her second year at North Texas as the team’s No. 1 player, No. 82 nationally ranked Maria Kononova has been the main beneficiary of this intense schedule. Kononova has already faced five players who currently hold a ranking in the top-125 spots in the nation and has more in the weeks ahead. She has claimed victories over two top-80 opponents so far this season. View Full Article

With her second regular season under her belt, head coach Jalie Mitchell led the North Texas women’s basketball team to the No. 8 seed in the Conference USA tournament with an 8-10 conference record. From 2008-2015, the women’s program only won eight conference games one other time (2013). Despite her program showing substantial progress in her sophomore season, Mitchell refuses to settle for simply making the tournament. “We have to win our first game,” Mitchell said. “It would be something we haven’t done, and making that round of eight shows that you belong up there.” The Mean Green will face the No. 9 seed, University of Alabama, in Birmingham in the first round. While this is a team they have beaten before, they have one advantage that separates them from every other team in the tournament. “UAB is technically the home team because we are in Birmingham,” Mitchell said. “I think they’re a tough team, so we have to come to play.” With the same conference record and one past game decided in overtime, which North Texas won, these two teams appear somewhat even on paper. The only possible edge could be the fact that the tournament is being played on the Blazers’ home court where they are 9-6, a sharp contrast to their 5-8 road record. With UAB playing well at home, North Texas will turn to its three seniors for guidance. Guards Kelsey Criner and Candice Adams and forward Terra Ellison were relied on heavily in both tournament games last season. Criner averaged 14.5 points in the two games, while Adams and Ellison averaged 14 and 12.5, respectively. And the seniors continue to be key cogs for the team. “We have experience of the atmosphere and what it’s going to be like,” Ellison said. “We just have to make sure we let the new players understand what it’s going to be like and how important and serious it is at the tournament.” Along with their experience, their scoring and hectic defense could cause problems that allow them to make a run. Their defense creates roughly 19 turnovers per game, which generates transition and three-point opportunities. Getting hot in a single-elimination tournament is not uncommon, and this team has the guard play to do so. When the Mean Green have been forced to face a set defense in halfcourt however, they have struggled and become stagnant, especially against zone. A possession from the wbball game against Marshall, their ability to attack a zone will determine how far they can go in the tournament. pic.twitter.com/E69Jkwy3xb — Matthew Brune (@mattbrune25) March 7, 2017 “We can improve our communication on defense so that we’re all on the same page,” sophomore guard Tyara Warren said. “[Also] just knowing our offense because we’re going to get zoned.” Mitchell believes there’s a simple explanation to why opponents have gone to a zone. “Teams are going to that because we’re not hitting [from outside],” Mitchell said. “That is something we definitely need to fix.” View Full Article

While he has a few potential replacements in mind, Baker is keeping his cards close to his chest. “There are a lot of names in mind but none I would share publicly,” Baker said. “Confidentiality is key. The candidates don’t want to be exposed. If you talk to one or two and that is out, people think you’re on your third or fourth candidate, that’s not a good situation for you. I’ve got names, and expect more to turn up.” Benford leaves the program after failing to qualify for the Conference USA tournament this season. The Mean Green posted an 8-22 overall record and just a 2-16 mark in conference. Despite where the program stands now, Baker thinks the job is an attractive one. Baker is unsure of when the new head coach will be announced, but he knows one thing – North Texas needs experience. “I think we need somebody that has demonstrated experience in Division I,” Baker said. “I have a preference of getting a sitting head coach. If we can hire a sitting Division I head coach who is successful, that would be awesome, but we won’t restrict ourselves to that.” “I get it,” Baker said. “We all want to win. But first of all, I would say it would not be accurate to paint this men’s basketball staff as a failure. We haven’t had hardly any off-the-court incidents with our kids. Don’t take that for granted. But at the end of the day, they haven’t won enough for the fans. We will go and find a coach that will make us highly competitive in this league.” View Full Article

University of North Texas vice president and athletic director Wren Baker announced Sunday men’s basketball head coach Tony Benford has been relieved of his duties effective immediately. Benford was at the end of his five-year deal with the university. “After spending this season evaluating our men’s basketball program, we have determined that a change in leadership is necessary,” Baker said in a press release. “Tony and his staff have worked tirelessly for five seasons to help our student-athletes grow academically, socially and competitively. I am appreciative of those efforts. However, I believe we can compete for championships and, unfortunately, we have fallen short of those expectations.” View Full Article

In what could be the final game on the North Texas sideline for head coach Tony Benford, the Mean Green (8-22, 2-16) had two critical turnovers down the stretch that allowed Marshall University to win 106-104. North Texas blew a one-point lead after a turnover on an inbounds pass gave Marshall (17-14, 10-8) forward Ryan Taylor the go-ahead layup with 6.9 seconds remaining in the game. After another turnover by North Texas allowed the Thundering Herd to extend the lead on a free throw with just four seconds to go in the final game of the season. With one final chance to send the game to overtime, freshman guard A.J. Lawson sprinted coast-to-coast but missed a layup at the final buzzer. Lawson led UNT in scoring with 26 points, fifteen of which came in the second half. Despite his strong performance, free throws were a struggle for as he went just 4-of-12 from the line. “He’s got to continue to work on those [free throws],” Benford said. “But he did a great job of playing hard and making plays for us. North Texas displayed one of its best shooting performances of the season in the loss and had its highest scoring output against a Division I team in the Tony Benford era. The Mean Green shot over 60 percent field and 44 percent from 3-point range. North Texas also managed to tie its season-high by scoring 53 points in the first half. View Full Article

When junior forward Shane Temara enters a room, everyone seems to take notice – mainly because he wants them to. A photo shoot is going down in the press room in the bowels of the Super Pit. Temara becomes the center of attention as he pulls out his iPhone and begins to document everything via Snapchat. He sends the entire room into laughter with his wise-cracks and personality. He shows everything off for his Snapchat as a few of his teammates watch on. He puts everything on his story for all of his friends to see. Time for the professional photos now. After a few shots against the backdrop, Temara’s shirt is off. He’s got to flex for Instagram. “I think he wants to be a movie star,” head coach Tony Benford said jokingly. “I know how he is. He’s a very outgoing guy. Shane keeps everybody loose and our guys will tell you he’s the funniest guy on the team and fun to be around.” On the court, however, Temara becomes a different beast. It’s time to go to work when he steps on the hardwood. Playing basketball at this level is nothing short of a dream. After high school, Temara was not sure if he would ever be playing Division I basketball, so he is not going to squander his opportunity. He has to keep himself loose. “I try to have fun with it because if I start thinking too much, then the mistakes come,” Temara said. “It’s my office. I try to not worry about what other people are thinking.” View Full Article

A new UNT track and field complex, costing almost $12 million, will break ground and start construction in April on Bonnie Brae and Willowwood streets and will be fully completed by spring 2018. “This project has been in the works for several years,” said Jared Mosley, associate vice president and chief operating officer. “There was always a thought at some point we were going to need a new facility because of the age conditions that the track is in.” Fouts Field UNT will soon say goodbye to its 65-year-old football stadium Fouts Field. Mosley said it is “outdated” and that the equipment for the new facility will be “enhanced.” Athletes and coaches are limited to what they can do over at Fouts. The track’s surface is starting to erode. Cracks are beginning to show up in the track and it has become a safety issue, said Mosley. Instead of renovating Fouts Field, which would be “extremely expensive,” it is “economical” to build a new facility. As of now, UNT is unable to hold its own track and field meets. Fouts is “strictly a practice facility,” Mosley said. With the new facility, this will change, bringing in revenue by selling tickets and getting the attention of student recruits by exposing them to North Texas sports. The new complex will be built on “very valuable” real estate located on on Bonnie Brae and Willowwood streets, south of the tennis complex, Mosley said. “I am really excited for [the new facility] and to be able to run on a new track next year,” said freshman track and field athlete Jaida Johnson. “I think it is always good for change.” By November 2017, the track, bleachers and press box will be completed. The operations building where the offices, locker rooms and restrooms are located will be completed by March 2018, said Mosley. View Full Article

UNT breaks ground on $49M project View Full Article

North Texas welcomed the University of Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles into Denton on Senior Day to close out the 2017 home schedule. But what was supposed to be a day of happiness and celebration ended in agony for the Mean Green. North Texas (8-20, 2-14) was downed handily by the Golden Eagles (8-20, 2-14), solidifying the first losing record (7-11) at the Super Pit in 13 years. The Mean Green are now officially eliminated from Conference USA tournament contention. “I’m very disappointed in this afternoon,” head coach Tony Benford said. “I didn’t think we played well but Southern Miss had a lot to do with that. They did a great job executing against us. We missed some easy shots at the rim that I thought could have kept us in it.” Freshman guard A.J. Lawson, who has had to pick up the slack that was left by an injury-ridden season, had a double-double to lead the way. Lawson has stepped up in the extended absence of senior guards Keith Frazier, Deckie Johnson and junior forward Jeremy Combs. The freshman notched 17 points to go along with 10 rebounds and four assists. “Team first,” Lawson said. “I don’t come out here to just try and score everything.” Senior transfer Derail Green had one last chance to shine at home, and shine he did. Green finished with with 17 points and two rebounds, and no other Mean Green scorer broke into double-digits. “I just tried to come out with some energy and do whatever I can,” Green said. “We feel a little bit short. It was more the defensive errors that we made. The energy wasn’t that bad it was the attention to detail.” While Green and Lawson were strong, the Golden Eagles had a number of massive performances of their own. Senior guard Quinton Campbell led with 24 points and 13 rebounds on 10-of-13 shooting. Senior Michael Ramey was lights out from 3-point range early on his way to 19 points. Ramey was a big part of the 47-30 lead that Southern Miss held at halftime. View Full Article

Farewell to Fouts View Full Article

Kayla Davis & Celeste Gracia | Staff Writers According to the most recent enrollment numbers, UNT’s enrollment has increased at a slower rate than other comparably sized universities in Texas. But the university is fast approaching its goal of becoming a Hispanic Serving Institution. UNT has seen a 3.1 percent increase in enrollment over the past five years. In the fall of 2012, the total enrollment was 35,778; as of last semester, total enrollment was at 37,979. But other schools in the metroplex, such as the University of Texas at Arlington, have seen higher enrollment growth in the past five years. UTA has grown by 12.2 percent, starting with a total enrollment of 33,239 in the fall semester of 2012 and a total enrollment of 39,714 as of last fall semester. Vice president for enrollment Shannon Goodman said a reason for this lag may be attributed to the expansion of the UNT System. Opening campuses in Dallas and Frisco take away students that would otherwise go to the Denton campus. UTA’s growth, he said, is closely related to the growth of the UT System and their expansion into other forms of teaching. “UTA has shown a greater growth,” Goodman said. “Some of their growth has come from their online programs.” Other UNT System campuses have seen similar slowed growth rates. Opened in 2000, UNT Dallas now has 3,030 students enrolled as of fall 2016. Of those students, 40 percent identify as hispanic and 34 percent as African-American, a small increase from 2015. Increasing diversity at UNT In order to reach its goal of becoming a Hispanic Serving Institution, also called an HSI, UNT and other institutions must have 25 percent or more full-time hispanic undergraduate students. UNT currently has about 24 percent hispanic undergraduates, according to the online UNT fact book. Along with a HSI status in reach for UNT, the university is also close to achieving the status of a Minority Serving Institution, also called MSI. To be labeled as MSI, half the undergraduate and graduate student population must belong to a minority category. This excludes international students and students identified in the category “unknown” or “other.” As of fall 2016, UNT has about 48 percent of undergraduate students who identified as minorities. The UNT ethnic makeup of undergraduate students in fall 2016 was approximately as follows: white students comprised 48 percent, african-american 15 percent, hispanic 24 percent, asian/pacific islander 7 percent, american indian/alaskan native 2 percent, nonresident alien 3 percent and students who identified in the “other” category 1 percent. Vice president for institutional equity and diversity Joanne Woodard said one of the reasons for the university’s increased diversity could be attributed to the multicultural center, a “campus community center” that provides programs aimed at helping minority students. “When we can identify specific issues, we do try to focus attention and put some resources behind that,” Woodard said. “As the university grows, there will be a number of units that will have more programs that are targeted and focused on various issues of diversity.” Room for growth UNT is looking to push more online courses that can fit into working students’ schedules and offer a way for students to take classes without having to come to the physical campus, but still gain quality education. The university is even looking into potentially offering an entire major online, Goodman said. “We’re going to be here [for the students] whether that’s bringing out online programs or going out to Frisco and standing up a new facility or any other place in the metroplex that we need to take those services so we can meet the demands of the workforce and the students that are there,” Goodman said. Woodard said that another way to increase enrollment is through the further diversification of the school by reaching MSI and HSI status. “Once we reach those statuses, it’s going to increase our national prominence. It will increase the number of applications we get,” said Woodard. “Students really want to come here if you got that HSI stamp. The implication is that this is a welcoming and friendly place for people who identify as that.” Keeping HSI and MSI in mind, there are also goals to diversify the faculty. “While it’s not necessary to have [faculty diversity] be directly equal [to student], it is important I think for students to see role models who look like them that they can relate to,” Woodard said. Woodard said that once an HSI or MSI status is achieved, the university will implement more programs to better serve that population of students. “I think it also opens us up to some potential opportunities to apply for various grants a funding that can enhance some of the services and programming that we offer to students,” Woodard said. “We’ll be able to partner more with other institutions that are HSI status.” The university is projected to hit either of these statuses by 2018 but could get there even earlier, Goodman said. Featured Image: Prospective students are guided on a tour through the University Union alng with their parents, deciding if the University of North Texas is the right fit for them. Jake King View Full Article

Making the rounds in the athletic center adjacent to Apogee Stadium as he has done plenty of times before, there are plenty of people to see. A voice calls out down the hall asking if Zach is still hanging around. As a faint yes echoes through the office, another Mean Green employee emerges from the back of the office to say hello. It is what Zach Orr does nearly every time he’s in town. He stops by the campus that gave him a shot at his NFL dream and sees those who watched it become a reality – and the people who were just as crushed to watch it end. “It’s just a feeling of joy when I step back on campus,” Orr said. “I have so many memories, not only from an athletic standpoint. It was the best four years of my life. I enjoyed my time here. I turned into a young man here. This university helped me grow.” But on this day, he returned to UNT just a few weeks removed from making the call to end his own career. Orr picked up a neck injury during the Baltimore Ravens’ 15th game of the season against the Pittsburgh Steelers, signaling the end of a breakout season for the DeSoto High School product. He started all 15 games he appeared in for the Ravens in 2016, leading the team with 132 tackles while forcing a fumble and intercepting three passes. Zach Orr playing against Louisiana Tech in 2012. Rick Yeatts/Mean Green Athletics View Full Article

Thinking back to her days in Hungary, a smile illuminates over the sun-kissed face of Alexandra Heczey. As the images of her homeland fill her mind, the elegant Gothic, Turkish and Baroque-style buildings that once surrounded her with a comforting embrace no longer exist. Not here at least. Not in Denton. As much as she misses her home, the soft-spoken freshman for the North Texas tennis team is not here to dwell on her past. “I have a lot of things going on here,” Heczey said. “I just [don’t] have time to think about it“ But if it wasn’t for a bit of luck, Heczey may have never ended up with the Mean Green. Heczey’s discovery of North Texas began with a simple Google search of the best hospitality degree programs in the country. When she saw UNT on the list she decided to reach out to head coach Sujay Lama. And Heczey took an unconventional approach to contact him. “I couldn’t find his e-mail, so I [messaged] him on Facebook,” Heczey said. “But because we weren’t friends my message went to the trash.” While skiing in the mountains of New Mexico, Lama, already exhausted, took a break from his adventures and decided to check on his Facebook account. Out of the 35 or so spam messages Lama received, over half of them were recruits vying for his attention. Uninterested, Lama decided to delete all of the messages. Except for one, of course. View Full Article

Nate Jackson | Staff Writer In America, we have ingrained certain indispensable values into our society such as freedom, the pursuit of happiness and college sports. There are few things in our democracy more polarizing than sports, maybe race and politics. The reason being is that nothing exemplifies the conflicts life presents quite like sports does. Students should take a vested interest in the success of their school’s sports, especially the revenue-generating ones. Not only do they directly affect the advancement of a university, they also contribute to a dynamic, quality education. When an 18-year-old high school senior is considering what college to attend, in most instances, the competitiveness of the football and men’s basketball team are taken into consideration. Everyone wants to be part of the winning team. According to the National Association of College and University Business Officers, the quality of an institution’s brand helps determine the kinds of students and faculty a college can attract. “College athletics typically form part of that brand” for better or worse. The example I like using to give my colleagues a better understanding of this concept is the Ivy league. Schools such as Princeton, Columbia, Yale or Harvard don’t depend on athletics to help form a reputable brand. The prestige of those schools does enough for their brand. They’ve produced the most powerful men in the free world for hundreds of years. Even Harvard implemented the first systematic fundraising campaign in the U.S. in 1641. That said, they don’t need athletics to advance their curriculum or entice incoming students to open their checkbooks. Which is the perfect transition into my other point: alumni giving. There is a direct relationship between athletic success and alumni donations, also known as athletic revenue. According to CBS Sports, by the end of 2015, Texas had athletic revenue close to $180 million, Ohio State had revenue at $171 million and Alabama was sitting at $151 million. Alumni are motivated by various things, and some people feel that it’s their duty to give back to their specific concentration or to the overall well-being of their school. But when winning is a legacy, it’s a lot easier to pick up the phone and convince alumni to stay tied in and be involved with whatever their old university is doing. View Full Article

ATM stolen from Rudy's in Denton, later found in Dallas View Full Article

As men’s basketball associate head coach Rob Evans strides through the glass doors that separate the basketball offices from the concourse of the Super Pit, he stops to say a quick hello to all who cross his path. The 70-year old Evans gets to his office amid those trying to give their greetings and gets settled at his desk. He looks around, reminiscing on over half a century of basketball memories that include a scrapbook from the Final Four team Evans was a graduate assistant on to something a bit more personal – a picture of his wife of over 45 years. In his home away from home, that is the thing displayed front and center. “I enjoy getting up and coming to work,” Evans said. “I’ve spent a lot of time working in college athletics and a lifetime in coaching. I’ve worked with a lot of coaches and I’m not sure if I’ve enjoyed it any more than I have with Tony [Benford].” In the lobby of the basketball office sits administrative coordinator Bonita White. White has developed a friendship with Evans over the years, something that is not hard to do with the easy-going coach. “It’s terrific to have him around because he can always make you feel like you’re a part of something bigger,” White said. “It gives you value within the program. He has a way for making people feel valued.” Just down the hall from Evans’ office sits lifetime friend, head coach Tony Benford. Evans has known Benford since the day he was born, and the pair both grew up in the oil town of Hobbs, New Mexico. The Sandlot Evans was born in Hobbs in 1946 and was one of seven children, growing up with three older brothers, a younger brother and two sisters. His love for sports came from tough brotherly love from his older siblings. He would tag along with his older brothers to play sandlot baseball, basketball and football. Hanging around an older crowd, Evans knew he would have to get tough to survive. “I would get banged up a little bit and start wanting to whine,” Evans said. “But they would tell me if I wanted to go play with the little guys I could go play with the little guys. Otherwise, shut up and play.” He shut up. Evans went on to be a multi-sport standout in Hobbs before blossoming as a shortstop. He caught the eye of MLB scouts from the Colt 45s, now the Houston Astros, who wanted to draft Evans straight out of high school. But Evans’ mother wanted him and all of her children to get an education. “She told me it’s great they drafted you,” Evans said. “But if they want you, they can come get you after you graduate. It was not if I was going to go but where was I going to go.” Education and athletics Evans started his education at Lubbock Christian University where he became an All-American in 1966. Evans then made the jump to Division I in his home state at New Mexico State University. The English major captained the Aggies to two NCAA tournament berths, being defeated by Elvin Hayes and Houston in 1967. In 1968 the Aggies were downed by the mighty Bruins of UCLA, led by NBA Hall-of-Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who were the eventual national champions. Prior to his final year of college, Evans knew he wanted to get into coaching, but an interesting opportunity arose. The football staff had been trying to get him to play football, and when John Madden of the Oakland Raiders was on the New Mexico State campus checking out football prospects, the football staff told him about Evans. Madden was interested and asked Evans to run a forty-yard dash for him. Impressed, he asked Evans if he would join the Raiders in camp. After a very quick stint with the Raiders, Evans decided with the help of his mother he would return to New Mexico to become a graduate assistant. “That’s what I wanted to do with my career,” Evans said. “I’ve been very blessed. I was blessed to have a mother that helped take me down the right path. Every decision was with her blessing.” The beginning of an illustrious career Evans always knew he would be a coach, and his time at New Mexico State was just the beginning of a long career. An Aggie team made up of former teammates of Evans’ would earn a trip to the Final Four in 1970 with him as an assistant. He then helped three Texas Tech squads claim Southwest Conference Tournament titles, and in two years with Oklahoma State University, he and the Cowboys reached two Sweet 16 appearances. After 24 years as an assistant, Evans got a chance he could not turn down. But it was not the most attractive option. Evans was a candidate for the head coach job at the University of Mississippi. The problem was, the Rebels only had one winning season in the last nine years. Evans’ boss at Oklahoma State, College Basketball Hall of Fame inductee Eddie Sutton, warned him to not take the job. Evans did not heed his friends’ advice. View Full Article

In a drab technical communication lab on the third floor of the auditorium building, history junior Alex McCann works where there is no food, drink or skateboards allowed. McCann spends up to 20 hours a week in the lab. Here, she helps anxious students with their projects, helps them build resumes and fits in time for her homework. After lab time and class, her day is far from over. From school, she leaves straight for her night job as a server at Waffle House, where she also works up to 20 hours a week. McCann’s story is typical of many University of North Texas students. For her and many others, they face a constant struggle between paying bills, working to stay in school and fighting for their futures. “I want to be on my own,” McCann said. “I don’t want to depend on anybody. I want to be an adult for once. I just want to get a degree and be a teacher so I can start my life.” According to the UNT financial aid department, approximately 28,000 students, or about 75 percent of the overall student population, received some type of aid for the 2016 year. In the same year, UNT gave about $142 million in grants and scholarships and about $156 million in loans, not including Parent PLUS loans, which require a parent or guardian cosigner. But grants, loans and scholarships don’t pay all the bills for thousands of UNT students like McCann. And so there are sacrifices. There was a time when she lived together with her then-boyfriend in their own apartment. It was a time of convenience, before two jobs and a 30-mile commute both ways. They were together for five years, but that doesn’t matter anymore. This was a relationship that meant more than words to her but is now just a memory. This was a relationship that her life was structured around, a relationship that brought on depression, insomnia, anxiety and exhaustion once it crumbled. “When you think you’re going to marry someone and they just give up, that’s what it was like,” McCann said. “I was out in three days.” Now she commutes from her father’s home in Carrollton and works in Denton. It’s crucial for her to structure her schedule efficiently. For McCann, a normal day is: wake up, commute 30 miles for job No. 1 at the lab, go to class, go to job No. 2 at Waffle House, commute another 30 miles back home, walk her dog, do homework and finally, maybe get some sleep. Rinse and repeat. There isn’t time for much else. At the end of the day, she is exhausted. McCann takes four online classes and one on campus. She said it’s easier to take online classes because this allows for a flexible schedule, especially with a full 15-hour class schedule. “Before, I didn’t really take money seriously,” she said. Now she does, because now she has around $12,000 in student loans and works two jobs out of necessity. Her focus is on a brighter future and independence. She works these hours at these jobs because there is hope in hard work — a hope that it will all be worth it in the end. She’s not alone. For the 2016-2017 academic year, the average annual cost of attendance for a Texas resident living on campus and enrolled in 15 hours per semester is $23,780, according to information from UNT department of admissions. Graduate students enrolled in 9 hours per semester living on campus will pay $20,352. A Dallas Morning News report from April 2016 analyzed “all 37 Texas four-year public colleges and relied on federal data, which goes back much further than what the state maintains,” the report said. UNT collected $260,908,550 in tuition in 2015 — about an 851% increase from the $27,445,949 collected in 1993, the report said. With this rise in tuition, students like McCann who can’t afford school outright often have to work side jobs like, such as being a server at Waffle House, just to survive. “It’s always rewarding when I go home with $100,” she said. “It takes a toll on your body though.” Harleigh Robinson, media arts sophomore Media arts sophomore Harleigh Robinson strives to eventually be a director or producer in film. “I want to be a part of that industry and make a change,” she said, noting whitewashing and historical inaccuracies in World War I documentaries. “They make some people seem better than they are and some worse than they are.” Robinson transferred to UNT from Midland College, in Midland, Texas, her hometown. In Midland, she remembers hearing of a time when the drug cartel killed two of her friends from high school. One of them was her neighbor and the other was her boyfriend. She remembers the bingo hall she worked at where retirees would drop $400 a night in the hopes of claiming some pointless prize, because these are the things that happen in Midland. Media Arts sophomore Harleigh Robinson sells tickets to “Split” at the Movie Tavern in Denton. She surrounds herself with films in her classes, at work, and in her spare time. Samantha Hardisty Her father dropped out of the 9th grade and later got his G.E.D. Her mother dropped out of college after her first year. Her older brother is studying to become a nurse. She is a first-generation college student. Her family is betting on her becoming something more for herself. “None of them have done it, so they want me to do it,” she said. Her interest in film and storytelling is not something normally brought up in conversation in Midland. For her, college is a rescue from stagnation. Getting a degree is the ticket out of small-town Texas, where not much happens and not so many people leave. She graduated high school as a licensed cosmetologist. In high school, she worked three jobs as a nanny, a cosmetologist cutting and styling hair and at the bingo hall. “I’m used to two jobs now,” she said. She’s learned that her bills don’t wait because she has tests and homework. She’s also learned that her medications she took to cope with depression, anxiety and ADHD were not helping, and stopped taking them. “That was so I could figure out how to live with my mental illnesses and still function in society,” she said. Now, she’s working around 40 hours a week between selling books at Voertman’s and ripping tickets, sweeping and pointing to theaters at the Movie Tavern. This is so she can afford $600 a month for rent, $100 a month on her car payment, $20 a week on food and a little bit here or there on her cat, who she taught to use the toilet. She’s always gone to school because if she wanted to leave Midland and become a movie director or producer, she’s had no other option. “It’s not a passion, but it’s necessary,” she said. “Where I come from, there’s nothing like this here, so I was kind of taking a shot in the dark.” Kara Jobmann, public relations senior Kara Jobmann worked three jobs and an internship while enrolled in 18 hours of classes during November through finals week of last year, and maintained an overall 3.4 GPA. She’s since taken a step back to breathe from all of that. “Some weeks I was working 20 or 30 [hours], others I was working 40 to 45,” she said. “It just depends.” As a public relations and English double-major, working all these hours on top of school grew to be too much to handle. She keeps three planners stocked with dates and times to keep her schedule in line; one for work, one for school and one for social time with her friends. Her parents are divorced and until this semester, loans were her only option to cover her expenses. Her mother is a school teacher, working on a teacher’s salary, and her father, who was “out of the picture” until this semester, made too much money for her to qualify for financial aid outside of loans. This is the first semester she received help from her father, and also the first semester she didn’t have to take out any loans. Now, she only works an internship for a public relations firm in Dallas and is a campus ambassador distributing KIND granola bar samples across the university. “I knew I was going to be in a lot of debt, so I wanted to further my chances of getting a good job,” Jobmann said. Public relations and English double major, Kara Jobmann sits at local bar Cool Beans spending a few hours of down time before a night class. ‘Free time’ like this often is scheduled weeks in advance in one of three planners she uses to keep her days in order and her mind at ease. Today’s visit to the bar was a rare, impromptu occasion. Kyle Martin Six months after she graduates this upcoming December, she’ll have to start paying back the $89,000 in student loans she’s taken out during her time in college. That is unless she finds a job and enrolls in graduate school before then. If at that point Jobmann is in graduate school, she plans to pay off her accruing interest while pursuing another degree and working at the same time. Post-college, she said she wants to be involved with public relations for a non-profit organization to advocate for the education of children in need. “I’m one of those millennials that believes education is a human right,” she said. “I think a lot of problems in our society come from a lack of education or lack of knowing. People are afraid of what they don’t know.” For her, going to school was an investment in herself. Investing in herself meant she’d later be able to invest herself into helping children receive an education. Jobmann said she took on so much because when she gets out of college she wants a job that pays above the median wage in her field. Focusing on herself often means time away from her friends, too. “You need social interaction. Humans need love and affection,” she said. “After a while your friends realize that you don’t have time for them and so they stop asking.” Samuel Coleman, sociology graduate studies Samuel Coleman is enrolled in the pass-through master’s degree program at UNT. He’s working towards getting his doctoral degree and master’s degree in sociology at the same time. With this being his first year in the program, he’s got a few years to go. Coleman took out just over $3,000 worth of loans between starting his undergrad degree program and now. His debt for now is minimal thanks to help from a Pell Grant and a McNair scholarship at Sam Houston State University, where he received his undergraduate degree. Without these federal aid programs, he said he would have gone to a junior college instead. His ultimate goal is to be a professor teaching social stratification and race relations to college students interested in sociology. Right now, he’s getting practice working 20 hours a week as a teaching assistant in the sociology department. On the weekends, he works 20 hours at Dillard’s to pay his bills — $420 a month on his car, $550 a month on his apartment where he lives alone and around $2,000 a month on food because he doesn’t cook too often and likes to eat. “Obviously, you just need to pay bills,” Coleman said. “You have to survive on your own. Luckily, I have a job that works with my schedule.” During his time as a graduate student, he will conduct research on his thesis and dissertation. Research is something held in high esteem in the sociology department. It’s a way to give back and show others what you have learned. “That’s why everybody is here, to give back in some way,” Coleman said. “To give back to your discipline.” But giving back doesn’t always happen when on the weekends he has to sell clothes instead of study about race relations in America. Regardless of whether he wants to work outside of school or not, he has financial obligations which won’t wait for him to write his thesis. A new normal McCann, Robinson, Jobmann and Coleman work two or more jobs to survive through school. Though their lives are different, they hold at least one thing in common with thousands of other UNT students. These students are fighting for their future. For these students, what matters are their post-college futures.This is true for millions of students across the country. For some dealing with rising education costs, the luxury of full-immersion in one’s education, without life or money getting in the way, doesn’t exist. Throughout American history, it’s been normal to graduate high school and go to college. In 2017, the new normal for many is full-time work and full-time school. But what matters more? Work, or school? And at what point does work get in the way of school, and vice versa? Coleman, with 40 hours a week on top of his graduate studies, feels the effects of this new normal firsthand. “There’s just no other option,” he said. “I don’t think that’s going to change much as long as there’s bills to pay.” This piece is one of a series of pieces collaborating the different stories of students who work to financially combat rising higher education costs. If you would like to share your story on record, please reach out to Kyle Martin via email at kylebmartin96@gmail.com or via Twitter @Kyle_Martin35 Featured Image: Interdisciplinary studies sophomore Alex McCann works on the weekends at Waffle House, one of her part-time jobs. She said she spends time at there when she’s off work because she enjoys her co-workers and the regular customers. Samantha Hardisty View Full Article

Construction persists View Full Article

James Stevens | Contributing Writer Each university has its own legal way of handling unwarranted sexual advances and harassment. However in 2007, the Newsletter on Intellectual Freedom mentioned that “most college and university speech codes would not survive a legal challenge…” Greg Lukianoff, president of the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, said that colleges adopt these codes because they fear harassment lawsuits, “leaving victims of sexual harassment unprotected through three major discrepancies: their lack of a ‘reasonable person’ standard, the lack of severity and pervasiveness requirements and [their] problematic examples.” If these codes cannot defend victims during a legal battle, who are they really serving? To quote UNT’s policy on sexual misconduct: “Unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature including but not limited to unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, sexual violence and other verbal, nonverbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature.” Here are the three amendments we need to fight for in order to establish a safer environment for UNT students. The Addition of a Reasonable Person Perspective Harassment has to be evaluated not only from the victim, but also from the perspective of a “reasonable person” in the victim’s position. This procedure defines the event of harassment as both subjective and objective, which is the requirement for any judicial action to be taken. This also protects innocent students who are wrongly accused of misconduct from falling prey to malicious slander. The addition of the “reasonable person” clause boils down to protecting and helping students who have undoubtedly been sexually harassed while disallowing students who have not been subject to this awful experience from seeking unjust retribution. The Addition of Severity and Pervasiveness Most codes of conduct use vague terms — out of laziness or lack of legal advice — and in this case, we see that the linchpin to an entire case rests on an ambiguous word. “Unwelcome,” as a legal term, lends itself to be interpreted very broadly. What scares me most about interpretation is that lawyers’ sole jobs rely on the re/misinterpretation of the law. Therefore, big guys win and the little girl loses because her pockets aren’t as deep. This could absolutely be avoided. The American Civil Liberties Union mentions the effects of vague wording in an article regarding hate speech codes at the University of Michigan. That college made a code of conduct to fight racism, primarily focusing on hate speech from white students to black students, but the wording of the code was so vague to the students it was meant to protect that several were effectively singled out and punished. According to the ACLU, “white students in 20 cases charged black students with offensive speech” for 18 months. “One of the cases resulted in the punishment of a black student for using the term ‘white trash’ in conversation with a white student,” and after that, “the code was struck down as unconstitutional in 1989.” Unlike the broad term of “unwelcome,” the Supreme Court’s definition of harassment requires the action to be “severe, pervasive and objectively offensive.” It only makes sense that we implement this clause as a way to protect the victims of sexual and other forms of harassment because it helps establish a criteria for victims to supply evidence for. The Deletion of an Examples List The example list is counter-intuitive because it outlines only a handful of conducts considered to be sexual harassment. But since it’s technically “not limited to” the list, students are left to consider whether or not their incident counts as harassment. The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education states that “lists of examples like this are highly misleading.” Another reason behind the need for this particular change is that the list – explicitly stating any “unwelcome” verbal sexual conduct constitutes as sexual harassment – stifles students’ participation in open topics about sex, sexual identity and other topics. No student wants to face disciplinary action due to some unconventional idea or comment concerning a taboo subject. I propose that we adopt the following sexual harassment definition in place of our currently useless one: “Any verbal, nonverbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature that is severe, pervasive and objectively offensive, which interferes with a reasonable person’s ability to participate in the educational process.” The execution of this new code would accomplish two things. First, it would protect the victims of sexual harassment from vague codes that can be dismissed, overturned and used against the victim, who it is intended to help. Lastly, it would protect every student from having their right to free speech compromised. Featured Image: The photo is a dramatization of a harasser blackmailing his victim. Originally taken on Mar. 9, 2015. Leon Isreal View Full Article