Author: The UTD Mercury

Editor’s Note: In conjunction with the Office of International Education, The UTD Mercury is highlighting the adventures of UTD students who study abroad. In this installment, Laura Rashedi, a senior biology student, shares her experiences in France, where she spent six months studying. ORLEANS, FRANCE – The first thing that I saw when I arrived…

Editor’s Note: In conjunction with the Office of International Education, The UTD Mercury is highlighting the adventures of UTD students who study abroad. In this installment, Jamie McLerran, a junior literary studies student, shares her experiences in Brazil, where she spent six weeks studying. As a child I heard a recording of Stan Getz’s “The…

In fall of 2003, two American men were arrested for engaging in child prostitution in Cambodia. The detainment of proven pedophiles is unquestionably a service to mankind, but the legal repercussions of prosecuting someone in the United States for a crime they committed abroad is unsettling. The Public Records Open to End Child Tragedy Act,…

David Patrick Woodard, charged in fall 2003 with burglary and attempted sexual assault in Waterview Apartments, has been charged in a two-year-old kidnapping case in Plano. According to a Dec. 11 article from NBC5i news, DNA evidence is being used to charge Woodard with the aggravated kidnapping of a 12-year-old girl in August 2001. While…

Let’s face it: Americans are fat. We are porked up on hamburgers, pizza and ego. Psychological studies show that physically fit people generally lead happier and more fulfilling lives. Yet, as a nation, we do not pay nearly enough attention to our diets. It should come as no surprise that we are the fattest country…

The first half of the 2003-04 season has been a struggle for the UTD women’s basketball team. A 3-8 start and a couple of blowout losses could be discouraging to most teams, but the Comets are looking forward to regrouping and making a run as American Southwest Conference East Division play resumes in mid-January. The…

The UTD geosciences department is funneling together manpower and research to find solutions to ease demands for natural water resources by the world’s ballooning population. A new class co-taught by Matt Leybourne, assistant geosciences professor, and Nate Miller, research scientist at UTD’s Center for Lithospheric Studies, will provide students with a framework for understanding local…

If you know enough not to confuse your USB with your FSB and your gigahertz with your gigabytes, you’ve got the skills to put together your own computer. If you just can’t justify Michael Dell’s notion of a “customized PC” (they’re built on a production line!), or if you’re yearning to learn more about the…

Karaoke is an odd activity. From an outsider’s view, it looks awkward, embarrassing, and degrading. Yet, for some reason, it’s loads of fun to cut loose and croon like a madman to popular and corny songs. Karaoke Revolution, created by Harmonix makers of Amplitude and Frequency and published by Konami makers of the immensely popular…

Joseph Edwin Alexander passed away Dec. 8, 2003, in his home two weeks before he was to graduate summa cum laude as a UTD business administration major. Alexander was 53 when he returned to school two years ago to become a full-time business student and add to his previous education. Born Sept. 14, 1950, in…