Student Government’s ‘Take Back the Night’ honors sexual assault survivors | April 29, 2024
A crowd gathered around flickering candles arranged next to the Reflection Pool the night of April 23 as representatives from rape crisis centers and UTD student organizations stood in honor of sexual assault survivors. The event, called Take Back the Night, took place from 7 to 8 p.m. at the Chess Plaza and consisted […]
Mercury mascot takes last distribution tour around campus | April 29, 2024
I’ve done it all at The Mercury, and I earned the in-house title of “Mercury Mascot” not just by being the office goblin, but because I’m one of the loudest and proudest members of both this newspaper and our Comet community. This is my story and my farewell. “The only reason I read Mercury is […]
Pro-Palestine Comets reject meeting conditions with President Benson after week of protests | April 29, 2024
At the climax of a nearly 10-hour long demonstration April 23, representatives from Students for Justice in Palestine and UTD’s Cabinet of the President agreed to a meeting to discuss the concerns of Palestinian students. During the meeting April 26, SJP representatives delivered a letter to Benson, refusing to speak with him, before leaving. SJP’s […]
Green Fee Referendum passes with 61% support | April 29, 2024
The Green Fee Referendum passed April 26. Of the 1,032 Comets who voted in the referendum, held from April 24 to 26, 628 students voted in favor of the environmental service fee, and 404 students voted against it. With a 224-vote victory margin, the process to implement the fee will move forward; the next step […]
Australian duo Royel Otis reps indie rock | April 29, 2024
Royel Otis’ addictive vocals and electrifying instrumentals quickly made their way onto the playlists of indie and alternative rock fans with their viral cover of “Murder on the Dancefloor.” And with the arrival of their debut studio album “Pratts and Pain” and their first U.S. tour stop at The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory on […]
XAI Reprom Wonderland Royale | April 29, 2024
Inflatable ruby-red dice bounce through the air as impassioned prom-goers dance, laugh and swap stories. The sharp pulse of a beat reverberates through the Visitor Center’s Atrium at Chi Alpha Iota Diaternity’s 2024 “Reprom” as chapter members celebrate the winners of the “Wonderland Royale” themed royalty elections — a Monarch of Hearts, Monarch of Clubs, […]
In memoriam: professor and Director of Guitar Studies remembered | April 29, 2024
Enric Madriguera, UTD’s Director of Guitar Studies and first Russell Cleveland Professor in Guitar Studies died April 14. Madriguera was one of the most accomplished guitarists in UTD’s history and a pillar of the Dallas guitar community. His 44-year tenure at the university included international classical guitar study, the founding of the UTD Guitar Series […]
A diligent drummer’s double life | April 29, 2024
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 […]
‘When L.R. Wept’ admitted into IMPACTE! film festival | April 29, 2024
The short animated film “When L.R. Wept” by Ahmad Khoshniat, a visual and performing arts Ph.D. student, was accepted into the IMPACTE! Film Festival in Catalonia, Spain. IMPACTE! is a film festival focused on human rights issues, receiving over 750 submissions annually, of which 30 are selected and only three receive awards. Khoshniat shared his […]
The protester’s polemic | April 29, 2024
As Gaza solidarity encampments pop up across the U.S., UTD’s own are among those protesting the involvement of their academic institution in what the International Court of Justice has called a “plausible genocide.” As Gov. Greg Abbott pushes for Texas to respond violently to campus protests while suppressing student activism through executive orders, it is […]
The trials and tribulations of Graphics Editor | April 29, 2024
Despite being The Mercury’s Graphics Editor, I will write my farewell, not draw it. My two years at The Mercury encapsulate a wide range of emotions and my journey has been, as Editor-in-Chief Fatimah Azeem said, “riveting.” My Mercury lore began in August 2022, when I joined the publication as a staff photographer. My responsibilities […]
Cecil and Ida Green Center demolished | April 29, 2024
The demolition of the Cecil and Ida Green Center began April 17 and will continue until the end of the spring semester. Originally known as the Cecil and Ida Green Center for the Study of Science and Society, the center was created in 1992 for speaker events and cross-disciplinary research in honor of UTD founder […]
Know your enemy: Comets should direct DEI ban anger at legislators, not just admin | April 29, 2024
On April 9, UTD President Richard Benson sent a schoolwide email stating that the Office of Campus Resources and Support — created in the wake of Senate Bill 17, which would have continued some of ODEI’s still-legal programs — would be eliminated. Four months into the DEI ban taking effect, students across the state are […]
In memoriam: founder, former director of ATEC dies | April 29, 2024
Thomas Linehan, founder of the Arts and Technology program and the former director of the Institute for Interactive Arts and Engineering at UTD, died at the age of 80 at the Oxford Glen memory care residence on April 11. During his tenure at UTD between 2002 and 2009, Linehan led the development of the Institute […]
Comets blaze past opponents as they enter finals | April 29, 2024
The UTD women’s tennis team crushed Hardin-Simmons 8-1 on April 12 before repeating the feat against Concordia Texas by winning 8-1 two days later. They ended the regular season with another win at East Texas Baptist 7-2 on April 19, followed by a victory against LeTourneau April 27 in the ASC semifinals to advance to […]
Comets drop to second place | April 29, 2024
The UTD men’s tennis team defeated Hardin-Simmons 7-2 on April 13 before losing their match against Concordia Texas 4-5 on April 14 and losing again against East Texas Baptist 4-5 a week later. Their final overall record is now 6-6, falling to second in the ASC East standings. Against HSU, the Comets were slow out […]
‘Inspiring,’ ‘resilient,’ ‘compassionate’: Sarah Hurwitz shares story of reconnecting with Jewish values | April 29, 2024
“Four thousand years of wisdom from my ancestors” — this is what Sarah Hurwitz, renowned speechwriter and author, gained from reconnecting with her Jewish roots, discussing theology, activism and much more at Hillel’s Teach-In event on April 16. UTD hosted the talk from Hurwitz as a part of a speech tour with Hillel International, a […]
Empathy is not a weakness: a letter from the Editor-in-Chief | April 29, 2024
“I’ve been waiting for someone to call me. No one has even tried.” These were the words Katheryn Montgomery, the victim of a horrific case of animal abuse, told me after our hour-long interview for my first major crime story. It became clear to me in that moment why I had persisted for weeks to […]
Preserving student media: accountability’s last stand | April 29, 2024
Picture this: it’s 11 p.m. on a Friday, and you have 16+ hours of newspaper production on Saturday and Sunday. Suddenly, you receive a late draft and open it. There are no sources, the tone is off, the writer seems to not know what quotations are, and everything will have to be redone before it […]
A Comet’s guide to summertime film fun | April 29, 2024
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 […]
Intramurals celebrates the blunders and brilliance of UTD Chess Team | April 29, 2024
UTD Chess celebrated the end of an eventful season by playing in the Intramurals, its last tournament of the semester, against fellow Comets in the Founders Atrium April 20. The Intramurals is a UTD affiliated 7-round Swiss tournament with 5-minute time controls and 3-second increments per move. Koustav Chatterjee, Andrei Macovei and Ivan Schitco competed […]
Opinion: Sanctions, reflections | July 26, 2024
Editor’s Note: Student X is one of nine students of the “UTD 21,” the 21 students, faculty and community members arrested at the May 1 encampment. Student X is currently facing both academic and legal litigation because of their arrest. Due to the exceptional circumstances they face, The Mercury has granted their request for anonymity […]
As an alumni, watching the actions of UT Dallas administration these last few months has been utterly disappointing to say the least. The school prides itself in the diversity of the student body and the voices they represent. It is once we start expressing our identities and values that they don’t care for them. It’s the appearance they value, not the substance of our experiences. All the way from Houston, you all have my support. I’ll be reaching out to other alumni from my year to let them know of what’s happening and to withdraw future contributions to UTDallas. I urge to everyone to do so. Turning a blind eye to a genocide live streamed right before us and going further and punitively punishing those that do not is utterly reprehensible.
Mario Galdamez BS, 2018
The UTD administration’s recent actions have been a stark demonstration of their unchecked power and lack of empathy. The students, alumni, and the wider community are united in their demand that UTD immediately lift the sanctions imposed on the students and faculty members who took part in the peaceful protest. Moreover, we call for the administration to heed the student government’s request to stop investing in weapon companies.
As an alumni, I’m outraged at this show of discrimination and suppression of freedom of speech by UTD. This is unacceptable and I’m withholding all future donations and contributions until rectified and an apology is made.
I will also be reaching out to other alumni to do the same. At the end of the day UTD needs continual donations and tuition to operate. These biased policies are completely unacceptable.