Tag: Maria Shaikh
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Law enforcement raids pro-Palestine encampment, arrests students and faculty
Less than 12 hours after pro-Palestine student activists formed the “Gaza Liberation Plaza” encampment in UTD’s Chess Plaza, local police and state troopers stormed the event, dismantling the tents and barricades constructed throughout the day and arresting student and faculty protesters. At 4:30 a.m., a coalition of student groups including Students for Justice in Palestine,…
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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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Know your enemy: Comets should direct DEI ban anger at legislators, not just admin
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…
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The Mercury wins 19 press awards
The Mercury brought home 19 press awards at the 2024 Texas Intercollegiate Press Association conference in San Marcos, including 13 awards for pre-published work and six awards for live contests. TIPA is one of the oldest and most well-respected college media associations in the U.S., with roughly 50 two and four-year schools attending to compete…
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Furry Fiesta is fur-ocious fun
Art stalls overflowed with merchandise and countless colorful, larger-than-life animal costumes greeted guests at the Sheraton Dallas Hotel, which hosted 2024’s Texas Furry Fiesta convention from March 15 to 17. This year, more than 17 Comets in fursuits attended the convention to socialize and connect with over 8,000 other furries. TFF 2024 is the fourth…
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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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Riccio: playing with fire
Between iWeek, Biryani Night and Lunar New Year, UTD is well-acquainted with beautiful and thoughtful events highlighting diverse traditions. Unfortunately, not every cultural event can be a success, and nothing proves that quite like Thomas Riccio’s stomach-twisting “Dragon Eye” video exhibit. “Dragon Eye,” which showcased the lifestyles of people from China’s Miao ethnic group, was…
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Law and letters: Literature degree to debut pre-law concentration
After two years of program development, the legal field is coming to Literature students through a new pre-law concentration debuting in fall 2024. Joining four other concentrations already available to Literature majors, the pre-law concentration will include five classes centering on legal history, and research and writing, with the aim of preparing Comets for law…
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FIRE gives UTD a red light, demands Spirit Rocks return
FIRE’s rating follows their Dec. 1 letter to UTD demanding the Spirit Rocks be reinstated and their Jan. 16 blog post urging for the Spirit Rocks’ restoration, after Student Affairs’ Nov. 20 decision to uproot the Spirit Rocks due to “extended political discourse.” FIRE, an organization focused on protecting First Amendment rights on college campuses,…