Author: The UTD Mercury
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Red Light: UTD Sexual Harassment Policies Threaten Comets’ Liberties
UTD should amend its Student Grievances policy to match the definition of sexual harassment in its Sexual Misconduct Policy. While firm anti-harassment policies are important and necessary, inconsistent and extrajudicial definitions of sexual harassment threaten students’ constitutional right to free speech. The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, a nonprofit dedicated to protecting free speech…
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Antisocial Campus? Try Sports
Embracing sports culture at UTD will bring Comets together and invigorate campus UTD’s lack of a sports culture is a direct culprit for the school’s lack of a social scene. Luckily, this is something Comets can easily change by stepping outside their comfort zone and giving sports a try. It’s no secret UTD has a…
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Abbott’s failures unmask the facade of “school choice”
School voucher programs siphon money away from public education, and UTD could become collateral damage The Texas Legislature’s fourth special session is underway, with the House committee advancing the school voucher bill after the previous special session saw stalemate on the issue. Despite Gov. Greg Abbott’s relentless crusading, the legislature’s hesitance to pursue voucher programs…
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‘Benson you can’t hide’: Hundreds of protestors denounce violence in Gaza, call out Benson
Hundreds of students marched from TI Plaza to SSA at 2 p.m. Oct. 25 in response to UTD President Richard Benson’s statement expressing sympathy for Israeli casualties without acknowledging Palestinian casualties in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. At least ten groups helped organize the march, including Students for Justice in Palestine and the Muslim Student Association. The…
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SG asks Benson to support Israeli, Palestinian students amidst conflict
Student Government passed a resolution on Oct. 24 calling on President Richard Benson to amend his Oct. 16 statement about the Israel-Hamas war and acknowledge the suffering of both Israeli and Palestinian students. S.R. 2023-06 passed with overwhelming support; out of the 65 senators present, 62 were in favor and none opposed. Three senators abstained…
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CannibiSenS: testing saliva for weed
Much like a breathalyzer with alcohol, the recently developed CannibiSenS can determine how much THC, the active ingredient in marijuana, is in a consumer’s body. The CannibiSenS, a device that measures THC levels through a saliva test, was developed earlier this year by a group of researchers at UTD, including biomedical engineering Ph.D. student Nathan…
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Overwatch tops out collegiate tournament
UTD’s Overwatch team finished in the top 16 out of over 200 teams in the Overwatch Collegiate Homecoming tournament on Oct. 20 after making it to the play-offs for the first time since spring 2022. The Overwatch Collegiate Homecoming tournament is one of the largest developer-supported Overwatch competitions and occurs every semester, with hundreds of…