Category: Life & Arts
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The Paisleys: from breakup to breakout
Correction, Aug. 20: An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated Sasha Kaplan’s first electric guitar. It is a Les Paul by Epiphone. An earlier version also had a typo in the headline. Children’s music classes are wrapping up for the day — a final musical scale floats through their air, lights are turned off,…
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The Marías’ ‘Submarine’ Tour brings dreamy sound to DFW
A long, eager line of fans snaked through the parking lot of the South Side Ballroom, small talk filling the humid Dallas night. As the sun dipped below the horizon, the venue’s red-brick exterior and glowing signboard bathed the crowd in warm light, setting the stage for a dreamy night with The Marías. Indie pop…
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Racing to the finish line
The drivers only have three minutes to swap places. Emotions run high. Anxiety rushes through the team as they pray this year won’t be like the last, hoping nothing goes wrong with their car so they can finally complete the course that has bested them until now. As the car crosses the finish line, the…
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73 Questions with your SG executives
As the newly elected 2024-2025 executive officers of Student Government, president and philosophy-computer science double major Devin Schwartz and vice president and sociology senior Debopreeta Bhattacharya sat down with The Mercury to shed light on who they are outside of their lofty titles, in the viral interview style of Vogue’s “73 Questions.” Q: How long…
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Dhunki: a ‘spellbound melody’ of a cappella
UTD students travel across the country from California to Atlanta, taking stages bathed in warm lights. This a cappella group, a self-identified found family, doesn’t just belt notes — they blend worlds, creating a fusion of South Asian rhythms and Western harmonies. Dhunki A Cappella, the premier competitive South Asian fusion a cappella team at…
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PHANTOMs mesmerizes with ephemeral performance
Correction, Aug. 13: An earlier version of this piece incorrectly stated Dean Terry’s position. He is a professor at UTD. The ethereal realm of PHANTOMs, where reality and performance intertwine, leaves audiences questioning the nature of their own beliefs and perceptions. Art and performance group Therefore took the audience on an unforgettable journey through sound,…
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‘They are just kids!’
Assistant professor of art history Ali Alibhai rushed to protect student protesters from what he saw as a militarized police force armed with weapons and willing to harm the protesters gathered at the encampment on May 1. His efforts to de-escalate and protect students were quickly quashed as police attacked, arrested and later chained him. …
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UTD professor reflects on arrest, experiences of ‘UTD 21’
While attempting to reduce the tension between encroaching police and student protesters, UTD history professor Ben Wright was arrested alongside two other colleagues on May 1 at the “Gaza Liberation Plaza” encampment. Wright spent over 20 hours in Collin County Jail alongside the rest of “the UTD 21” — the 20 other professors, students and…
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A diligent drummer’s double life
By day, this computer science student chases the finish line of graduation. By night, he is the mysterious drummer energizing the crowd from the back of the stage as part of the new local alt-indie-emo rock band that underground music fans at UTD have heard so much about. Bradley Johnson, a senior at UTD, is…
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A Comet’s guide to summertime film fun
While some movies are year-round favorites, the arrival of sweltering weather and mosquito hordes evokes a desire for media that can provide an escape from arguably the worst season of the year, filled with pit stains and bug bites. So, slather on your sunscreen, throw on a crop top and prep for the summer with…