Category: Featured
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‘A home away from home’
At UTD, international students make up 23 percent of the population. During the first few months of the school year, adjustment and adaptation are part of the process as new students try to make a new place their “home away from home.” Statistics graduate Jiwon Nam said she struggled at first to adjust to the…
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Resiliency through support
Cynthia Nguyen was driving to escape her friends back at UTD. They were worried that she was suicidal and wanted her to stay on campus. As she drove, the destructive thoughts that always plagued her mind returned. Though she was able to avoid her friends, she couldn’t run from those dark, scary ideations. Her peers…
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Campus political organizations, community activitists respond to confederate monument removal
Dallas’ governing bodies have started removing Confederate imagery from the city. While there is universal agreement on removing Confederate monuments across the city council, the school board and campus political organizations, the devil is in the details. Within the Dallas City Council, the DISD board, the UTD Democrats and Republicans, there is a subtle but…
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Roots of a community
In 2015, student volunteers petitioned to keep the Community Garden in the wake of construction through its plots. This year, they’re operating an updated, expanded version of that garden. This past year, 117 Comets volunteered with the Garden. Altogether, they managed to harvest 680 pounds of organic produce, due to new features such as the…
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Q&A: Senatorial candidate Beto O’Rourke
The bipartisan organization No Labels invited congressman Beto O’Rourke on campus to discuss his campaign for a seat in the U.S. Senate (he is currently running against incumbent Ted Cruz) and answer the questions of UTD students. After the meet and greet, the congressman sat down with The Mercury to discuss gerrymandering, free college and…
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What happens next?
Editor’s Note: The name of Jose was changed to protect his identity. Jose was two years old when he boarded a bus bound for the U.S.-Mexico border. His grandfather fed him grapes in the dark to stave off hunger during the 12-hour journey. “That’s the oldest memory I have,” he said. “That’s the only memory…
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Relatives, friends remember victims of Plano shooting
After receiving the news that their loved ones were victims of a mass shooting, friends and family members are trying to cope with their deaths by remembering their lives. Of the nine killed on Sept. 10, Olivia Deffner, Anthony Cross, James Dunlop, Rion Morgan and Meredith Hight were UTD alumni. The shooter, Spencer Hight, is…
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Five UTD alumni killed in mass shooting at Plano home
Editor’s Note: This article has been updated since its original publication. The original version of the article is included below. UTD alumni were killed in a home shooting last week, leaving nine dead and one injured. On Sept. 10, former student Spencer Hight killed Rion Morgan, an alumnus and employee at the Office of Information…
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Davidson-Gundy Alumni Center opens doors to old and new students
Designed for UTD alumni and students to connect better, the Davidson-Gundy Alumni center is open to current students and alumni, offering networking opportunities to both. Situated behind the Edith O’Donnell Arts and Technology Building and adjacent to the Naveen Jindal School of Management, the center expands over 30,000 square feet of indoor space and another…
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Full-service bakery opens in Dining Hall West
Students and faculty will now be able to purchase customized desserts on campus thanks to a new bakery service at UTD called Comet Cakes, which opened in Dining Hall West on Aug. 21. The Comet Cakes menu includes cupcakes, cake pops and tiered, round or sheet cakes. All of the desserts can be ordered and…