Author: The UTD Mercury
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UTD extends spring break, moves to online classes
As a result of the spread of COVID-19, UTD has announced that classes will be canceled the week of March 23 while classes before then will continue as scheduled. Classes will resume online on March 30 and students will receive updates as to online lessons through their instructors. UTD’s COVID-19 information page has been updated…
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Students launch petition, UTD suspends mandatory attendance in response to coronavirus
Petition to move to online classes receives over 13,000 signatures, university says there are no plans to close campus UTD students are taking matters into their own hands after several cases of the novel coronavirus strain were reported in Dallas and Collin County. A Frisco man tested positive for the virus on March 9 and…
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Chartwells management, workers see improvements after last year’s concerns
On-campus dining services, provided by Chartwells Higher Education, have made improvements since last year’s reports concerning lack of food safety training and management misconduct. Kyle Claiborne, one of the new assistant directors of dining services, now conducts monthly food inspections for food safety and handling. Claiborne previously worked for EcoSure, a third-party food auditor. Additionally,…
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Help Yourself
A critique of self-help book “Skin in the Game” With great power comes great responsibility — or it should, in theory. Nassim Taleb, author of “Skin in the Game,” takes this to another level: we must be prepared to face potential consequences for every action we take and every word we say. If we don’t…
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Umbrella of Resistance
How photography, illustrations can facilitate political change The smartphone has democratized digital art, rendering it simple for users to click-and-capture and imitate the professional craft of photography. With a press of a button, the picture of your foamy Americano or Nutella toast — along with a vibrantly nostalgic filter — can be shared with the…
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I hate me
Why sex transitions harm gender dysphoric children “The prospect of completely changing your body, your life, your identity, is very compelling to a teenager who’s just learning to cope with mental health issues,” said Cari Stella. As she explained on her YouTube channel, Stella was 15 years old when she became sure that deep down…
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The Price of War
Military funding should be redirected toward health, education In modern-day society, The United States of America is known for its vast economic wealth, numerous freedoms and opportunities and strong military. The military industrial complex — defined as an establishment within a country that produces technology for the purposes of protection against outside threats — has…
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Unpredictive Policing
Why Dallas PD’s data-driven initiative promotes racial biases Dallas police chief Renee Hall recently announced the city’s answer to New York’s infamous stop and frisk: a data-driven program to increase police presence in high-crime areas, allowing officers to use traffic stops as an excuse to pull over anyone they deem “suspicious.” After events such as…
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Smash Team Competes at International Competition
UTD’s “Super Smash Brothers Ultimate” team went to the 2020 Frostbite Major where they faced off against international opponents and fought in match-ups not found in the DFW area. The Comets competed at one of the largest “Super Smash Brothers Ultimate” tournaments so far with 1,235 players competing in the singles bracket where players play…