Tag: Jack Sierputowski
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Comets create encampment in solidarity with Gaza
Students established a solidarity encampment with Gaza at the Chess Plaza, surrounded by walls made of cardboard, plywood and tires with a sign reading “Free Palestine: all the walls will fall.” State and local police forces arrived 4 p.m., tearing down the encampment and arresting at least 16 students and three professors less than 12…
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‘Inspiring,’ ‘resilient,’ ‘compassionate’: Sarah Hurwitz shares story of reconnecting with Jewish values
“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…
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Preserving student media: accountability’s last stand
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…
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Adaptation done right: “Fallout” (2024) sets standard for great video game serials
Blending the tragedy of war with zany retro-futuristic science fiction, “Fallout” (2024) captures the quirky satire of the games in all their absurdity. “Fallout” (2024) — a post-apocalyptic drama on Amazon Prime based on the eponymous video game series — has been making waves after its April release. With a 94% rating on Rotten Tomatoes…
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Entitled students: No one owes you a degree
Imagine this: you’re in a core class, past the withdrawal deadline, and suddenly a few choice classmates start to complain about the level of work required to pass. Exams are weighted too high, the projects are too long and we shouldn’t have to take this class to graduate. Entitled students: why do you feel like…
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In the wake of death
In the past few weeks, you have probably heard about the deaths of fellow students and grappled with the shock at losing classmates and friends. We at The Mercury have felt the heaviness too, especially with one of the deaths confirmed to be a suicide. Students struggling with suicidal thoughts — know you are not…
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UTD student found dead in parking lot
Story update: March 4, 2024 On Monday, March 4, a report from the Dallas County Medical Examiner confirmed that the cause of death was suicide. Students who are in crisis can contact UTD Talk (972-883-8255), a 24/7 crisis counseling hotline, to speak to a mental health professional. The Student Counseling Center is available for appointments…
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The tragedy of the carts: skipping the corral puts us all in a cage of selfishness
Unreturned shopping carts in parking lots are society’s barometer for how much people care about others. And with a tiny bit of effort, you can make sure that barometer reads right and help workers, pedestrians and the whole community by putting your shopping cart where it belongs — in the corral. Picture this. It’s Friday…
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Professor’s high school teaching license under investigation for sexual texts
The Texas Education Agency is investigating a UTD art professor’s teaching license for sending sexual texts to a high school student while teaching at Allen ISD in 2020. In December 2020, a student at Allen High School accused art teacher Jeffrey Miranda of sending her inappropriate text messages, and while he was not tried in…
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Bring our rocks back!
“Censorship.” “Cowardly.” “Bring our rocks back.” These were the sentiments expressed by students the morning of Nov. 20, when UTD administration removed the Spirit Rocks from campus. Admin claimed the rocks were never intended for “extended political discourse,” like the month long back-and-forth between pro-Israel and pro-Palestine groups before their removal. But this argument is…