Day: March 18, 2024
-
Conservative news media watchdog attacks SB 17 compliance
Accuracy in Media — a conservative media watchdog — secretly filmed UTD employees in a Feb. 15 video, asking leading questions about Diversity, Equity and Inclusion practices, which were made illegal by Texas SB 17. Despite controversy around the video, university officials maintain that UTD is SB 17 compliant. Accuracy in Media’s website says that…
-
Chess Team snags awards at Southwest tournament
The UTD Chess Team improved their standing by placing second in the 2024 Southwest Chess Collegiate Championship on March 9, also qualifying for the 2024 Texas Collegiate Super Finals in fall. The UTD women’s chess team was the top scoring women’s team in the tournament. UTD Chess held this tournament on campus, registering eight teams…
-
La Llorona shares her sorrowful tale on campus
Piercing cries of pain overcome the steady murmur of a river as La Llorona wanders hopelessly in search of the children she drowned; this infamous figure from Latin American culture was brought to life on stage on Feb. 23, as one student channeled her tale of despair to explore grief and loss through a unique…
-
In the wake of death
In the past few weeks, you have probably heard about the deaths of fellow students and grappled with the shock at losing classmates and friends. We at The Mercury have felt the heaviness too, especially with one of the deaths confirmed to be a suicide. Students struggling with suicidal thoughts — know you are not…
-
Student Government: stop hiding from students
Over half of SG’s senators ignored their promise of transparency to students when they hid away to discuss a high-stakes resolution at a public meeting. Meaningfully participating in SG means facing the public eye, even if there’s backlash. And if senators can’t handle the scrutiny, then SG is not the place for them. SG passed…
-
Films should respect naked bodies, not stigmatize them
Hollywood blockbusters suggest nudity can only exist to invoke a sense of sexuality or for shock value, and given how affected we are by the media we consume, these sensationalizing portrayals could be affecting your personal relationship with nudity. Save yourself by opting for an indie film instead. 2024’s Vanity Fair Hollywood profile did, for…
-
Riccio: playing with fire
Between iWeek, Biryani Night and Lunar New Year, UTD is well-acquainted with beautiful and thoughtful events highlighting diverse traditions. Unfortunately, not every cultural event can be a success, and nothing proves that quite like Thomas Riccio’s stomach-twisting “Dragon Eye” video exhibit. “Dragon Eye,” which showcased the lifestyles of people from China’s Miao ethnic group, was…
-
Foundational physics in a fridge
In the underground floor of the Bioengineering and Sciences building sits the Quantum Transport Lab. Although it might not delve into teleportation, its study of particles interaction at the quantum level is no less fascinating. The Quantum Transport Lab at UTD investigates particles at an impossibly small scale by putting elements at absolute zero temperatures.…
-
UTD Alumnus creates ChatGPT-powered language learning app
As language learning tools flood the digital landscape, Lingua Link emerges to fill in the gaps left by Duolingo and similar apps, using the powers of AI to augment your studying. Lingua Link, cofounded by UTD alumnus and account manager Seth Dolginoff and software engineer Etan Cohn, is available for download in the Apple Store.…