Get To Know Your Candidates | April 3, 2023
Before you vote, The Mercury put together a breakdown for all the candidates for Student Government. The deadline to vote is Wednesday, April 5, at 5 p.m., and link to voting can be found in your UTD email. InspireUTD Computer science junior Srivani Edupuganti is running for president under the ticket InspireUTD, with experience in […]
Upperclassmen waitlisted as campus housing demand soars | April 3, 2023
The housing market is already difficult for millions of North Texans, but as summer approaches and enrollment continues to increase, UTD has little availability for on-campus housing. University Housing announced on March 28 that there were no more spaces available to non-first-year residents for the 2023-24 academic year. As the waitlist reached over 900 names, […]
Composting for a cause | April 3, 2023
UTD’s Office of Sustainability has partnered with Turn Compost to provide accessible compost bins to students on campus. Starting in 2018, Student Government’s Green Initiative Committee collaborated with the Office of Sustainability, Facilities Management and Housing to establish a composting program for students. In 2022, they collaborated with Turn Compost, an organization that provides resources […]
Texas bills could target international students | April 3, 2023
Texas lawmakers in Austin have introduced a series of bills that could affect university funding, minority groups and higher education. Restrictions on transgender athletes, bans on certain foreign citizens attending college, bans on election polls on campus, improving mental health, ending tenures and improving teacher retirement plans are just a few of the bill topics […]
Brent Tourangeau sworn in as chief of police | April 3, 2023
In late February, campus welcomed former assistant police chief Brent Tourangeau as the newest UTD chief of police. Tourangeau’s official coronation was held in the McDermott Room on March 30, where UT System Director of Police Michael Heidingsfield came from Austin to officiate the ceremony. “In Brent Tourangeau, you have somebody with already a successful […]
FOCUS signs vandalized | April 3, 2023
Comets vandalized a Christian organization’s recruitment signs, sparking debate online. On March 8, the Instagram meme account @utdbruhmoments featured a slideshow of images depicting a series of vandalized signs from a UTD student organization called the Fellowship of Christian University Students, also known as FOCUS. The post sparked a slew of heated religious debates between […]
Eco Hub Blooms For Spring | April 3, 2023
In the face of global warming, ozone depletion and rampant deforestation, UTD’s Eco Hub, a project of the Office of Sustainability managed by Sustainability Coordinator Avery McKitrick and student employees, adopts sustainable practices to support future generations. Research from the U.S. News and World Report shows that the best time to instill sustainable habits in […]
Chemist advances cancer research | April 3, 2023
The Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas, or CPRIT, has awarded UTD $6 million as part of a recruitment grant to hire world-class synthetic chemist Rudi Fasan from the University of Rochester. CPRIT Chief Scientific Officer Michelle Le Beau said the organization aims to develop the research prowess of Texas institutions and works closely […]
Tennis team undefeated | April 3, 2023
UTD’s men’s and women’s tennis teams are No. 1 in the ASC East conference for Division III, where they have persisted as undefeated against other DIII teams. The women have played 12 games so far — three of which were against other DIII colleges in the East conference — with an overall score of 8–4 […]
UTD chess conquers Texas Women’s Championship | April 3, 2023
Two UTD students secured chess honors on March 25 at the 2023 Texas Women’s Chess Championship. The format of the tournament consists of six rounds, and each round is 30 minutes per game per player with five seconds of delay. Two players from the UTD chess team were the final finishers: Gergana Peycheva, a business […]
Men’s basketball star second ever Comet to ball as an All-Star | April 3, 2023
Graduate guard Kyle Poerschke became the second Comet in the history of UTD men’s basketball to play in the National Association of Basketball Coaches Division III All-Star game. The All-Star game on March 18 featured top DIII senior players from across the nation, including another player from the American Southwestern Conference, Ty Prince of Mary-Hardin […]
Lockers in ATEC showcase symbolic art | April 3, 2023
The fifth annual Pop-up Locker Exhibition is currently on display in ATEC from March 23 to April 21. Open to students and staff, the “Shadowlands” themed exhibition showcases student artwork in lockers and includes prizes for the top three displays. While graduate students and faculty conducted past exhibits, this year’s exhibition was organized by undergraduate […]
Nasher Prize Laureate’s work on display in Dallas | April 3, 2023
Sculpture and performance artist Senga Nengudi was awarded the 2023 Nasher Prize for her powerful and meaningful art, bringing attention to the talent of both women and the Black community, and her current exhibit is worth a visit. Nengudi is the seventh laureate of the Nasher Prize, which honors outstanding contemporary sculpture art. Her passion […]
‘Daisy Jones and The Six’ brings the ’70s back to life | April 3, 2023
Imagine the ‘70s music scene: the Sunset Strip teeming with fame-obsessed youths and band members snorting coke off whatever they can find. This explosive environment makes or breaks artists, and “Daisy Jones and The Six” explores how far musicians can go before the drama of the industry catches up to them. Based on the bestselling […]
UTD professor gives back to Vietnamese community | April 3, 2023
From attempting to escape communism 11 times to becoming the president of the Vietnamese American Community in the U.S., adjunct professor Trong Phan has endured hardship; yet, he has prevailed in giving back to the Vietnamese community. Phan, who teaches Vietnamese at UTD, was born in South Vietnam during the Vietnam War, where North Vietnamese […]
What are the best places to nap on campus? | April 3, 2023
Between busy schedules and commutes, it’s no secret that college students struggle to get some shut-eye. There aren’t any designated sleeping areas on campus, but UTD does offer lofty areas that could serve as much-needed napping spots between classes. A meta analysis by the Center for Disease Control found that 60% of college students get […]
Latinx Film Festival addresses pressing humanitarian crises | April 3, 2023
The Hispanx/Latinx Film Festival debuted on March 22 outside the Jonsson Performance Hall, where professors from the school of Arts, Technology and Humanities addressed social and geopolitical issues impacting the Latinx community. While students might have arrived at the event for live music by the Bass Junkies, tacos from the Taco Taxi and mezcal concoctions […]
Board of Education is only half-right about energy use | April 3, 2023
The State Board of Education’s new anti-science campaign ignores the truth about the renewable energy transition. Recent news articles report that the Texas State Board of Education has asked that writers of the state’s K-12 science textbooks focus on the positive impacts of fossil fuel energy sources such as coal, natural gas and petroleum. They […]
Are superhero movies going the way of the Western? | April 3, 2023
The golden age of the superhero genre is showing signs of expiring in a similar fashion to the Western genre that came before it, thanks to audience fatigue and recent flops in quality. The Western genres provided escapism through a series of classics that dominated in a golden age between the 1940s and 1960s. However, […]
The South – backwoods, not backwards. | April 3, 2023
Those who stereotype the South as backwards ignore all the civil rights leaders it has produced. I spent a long time hating the South. I hated the music, I hated the incessant chirping of insects outside my window during the dry heat of the summer, and most of all, I hated the fact that the […]