Time to Reflect

By Saron Zekiros

I can't believe my freshmen year is over. Now that summer break has begun, it's time to reflect.

I can truly say I had a great first-year experience. I had a very funny way of ending up at UT Dallas, but luckily I hit the jackpot. I was placed in a dorm with some awesome roommates and met some great friends along the way. I enrolled in interesting courses with some amazing professors like Business Law with Professor Polze, World Geographic Regions with Dr. Vakulenko and Macroeconomics with Professor Ketsler, whose joy of teaching is reflected in the classroom environment.

I was involved in several clubs (IPESA, Circle K, and ESA) that kept me engaged. I recommend this to you all if you aren't already involved in a club/organization/sport on campus. It’s a good stress-reliever from classes.

Through my involvement in UT Dallas clubs I heard about the Univesity of North Texas Middle Eastern Conference, and through the Pre-Law Society, I had the opportunity to visit the Baylor Law School. For those students who are either considering majoring in IPE (International Political Economy) or have that major, I encourage you to join IPESA. Some of my favorite moments come from my involvement with that club!

My experiences in the fall and spring semesters seem like polar opposites even though I enjoyed both. From late nights studying with friends for an upcoming exam to attending the different plays, concerts, and shows on campus, my UT Dallas experience was surprisingly much better than I expected it to be.

I learned a lot of good lessons along the way that I hope to share with the incoming freshmen class such as always putting school first, but remembering not to neglect the experiences of growing up and creating memories with friends.

I leave you with these three things...

1. This campus is diverse with people coming from different backgrounds so find those that you mesh well with and your freshmen year will be a lot more enjoyable!

2. Find clubs on campus that match your hobbies, interests or skills and join! If you can't find one, then start one of your own! (be a pioneer!)  The old saying that UT Dallas is a "dead" campus will slowly disappear if more people are involved in campus activities.

3. UT Dallas is lucky to have some really esteemed professors so take advantage of the knowledge and experience they have to offer!

Finally, I hope everyone has an enjoyable summer! See you all in the fall :)

A School on the Rise

By Blake Eaton

A few weeks ago, I had a long conversation with a friend about why we decided to attend UT Dallas. Both of us performed well in high school and could have gone to any number of “top-tier” schools. Harvard beckoned to me, but I still came to UT Dallas. Both of us made that decision, but my friend wondered if it was the right decision.

I never had that crisis of confidence. I knew that UT Dallas was the right school for me, but I had to ask myself: Why? The answer: UT Dallas is a school on the rise.

Compared to the Ivy Leagues and other more established schools, UT Dallas is fairly young. That’s especially true when one considers the fact that it only recently turned its focus to becoming a residential college. 

To be certain, going to an older school with established institutions can provide a whole host of benefits. With time comes experience, and that experience can serve to make the organization more influential. Perhaps just as important, older organizations carry more prestige, and prestige can carry people a long way in their careers.

There’s one thing missing in that equation, though. When someone joins a longstanding organization, traditions have already been entrenched. The culture of the organization is, more or less, set in stone. What’s more, leadership is hard to come by in such organizations, and newer students especially have to wait before they can stand out among their peers.

Here at UT Dallas, we have our fair share of established organizations. There’s the John Marshall Pre-Law Society. There’s Mock Trial. There’s Moot Court. More importantly, though, we have plenty of room for more student organizations.

This year, I started a new organization on campus called Whoosh the Vote. As the presidential election grew near, we registered hundreds of students to vote. We were out and about on campus, reminding people to go to the polls, to make their voices heard. Unlike other organizations, registering people to vote wasn’t a side project for us. It was our central purpose, and we were proud to make a difference on campus.

As Vice President of Whoosh the Vote during the fall semester, I experienced firsthand the difficulties of establishing a new organization. Even as I went out three days a week to register people to vote, I had to move my way through the university in pursuit of official recognition. Working with others—not just to maintain something, but to start something—is an invaluable experience. As UT Dallas grows, more and more students will be able to gain that experience, and the lessons they learn will last a lifetime.

Advice to Freshmen: Get to Know Your Profs

By Alexandra Noll

One of the biggest mistakes I see my fellow freshmen making is not getting to know their professors. Most professors want to get to know their students, but they won’t seek you out. They post their office hours and expect students to come to them.

Last semester, I made an effort to go to each of my professors’ office hours and talk to them about the course. Not only did I gain a better understanding of what I was supposed to be learning, I connected with
each one.Now they know my name, and are interested in my continued progress at UT Dallas.

I took Criminology 1307 with Dr. Denise Boots, a class I highly recommend, and because I had the
courage to go and talk to her, I’ve been working with her on a research project this semester.

Most of the professors are friendly, and very willing to help you out. They want you to succeed, and will answer questions or offer suggestions. I would recommend going to each of your professors’ office hours at least once during the semester, and introducing yourself after class during the first week. Do this and you’ll be sure to succeed during your freshman year!

Boomer Sooner to WHOOSH

By Poonum Desai, Guest Blogger

Choosing a college is never easy. It’s the first real chapter in life where you’re pretty much alone. That really hit me when four days before the end of April of my senior year, my dad just popped the question, “So, have you decided what college you’re going to?” It was like he had asked me “So have you figured out your life yet?”

I actually really wanted my parents to make the decision for me. I didn’t know what to look for in a school. I just knew I wanted to go somewhere with a good study abroad program, a good business school, and football.  Yes, you read right, football. I’m a born and raised Texan, I gotta have my seasonal dose of college football.  

The night before May 1, I was sitting at the kitchen table looking at my two options: OU and UT Dallas, and I decided to choose OU. Many people have asked me, “Was getting away from home a reason you went there?” I’m not saying it was a giant contributing factor, but if you have the option of getting away from your parents who still think midnight is the time when 22-year-olds go to sleep so you need to be asleep by 11 at the latest, yea, living on my own for a bit would not be the most horrid thing ever.

But as the headline suggests, I’m now a Comet. Why? First of all, I was worried about paying out-of-state tuition. I started out thinking, hey, in the end it will all pay off when I get a job at a firm I really want to work for. The reality that having a job right out of college is not a guarantee hit me mid-semester. That was a big reason I returned home.

The second reason was the social atmosphere. Let’s talk about the concept of “partying” for a second. I love to have fun. But how many shots or beer you can chug or how much of whatever substance you can smoke before you regurgitate your intestines should not determine who you are.  At OU, I felt that my thoughts on partying did not necessarily match those of a lot of the other students, which is fine; it was just an indicator to me that I needed to relocate to a school that places academics on a higher pedestal.

When I was at OU, I started to think, “How happy can I be here for four years?” The thought of staying there that long made me cringe a little, and that’s when I had the epiphany: I needed to transfer to UT Dallas.

Don’t get me wrong. There are plenty of awesome things at OU. The professors were some of the coolest people I have ever met. The campus was gorgeous and even though it wasn’t their best football season, the games were still pretty awesome. 

But I felt UTD fit my personality perfectly. I love my fellow peers. As a campus, I feel we are a bit more reserved, but if I talk to you, you will talk to me back and then BAM, I just made a new friend on the elevator. The professors are so passionate about helping students that I’ve considered ditching my dream to be a talk show host to come back and teach at the university. The campus is close enough to my house so I can easily make trips home, but far enough for my mom to not come check on me. The business school (which I’m in along with EPPS) never fails to stun me. It’s almost as if there is nothing in this world that UTD students haven’t accomplished. And I’m a part of that school. 

I seriously am so excited to enter the work world now because I know I’m going to enter it as prepared as possible. And although there is no football, our intermural sports are really impressive. I really love it here. I am a proud Comet who can’t wait to blow the socks off the world. Transferring to UT Dallas was best step out of the many I have and will take to achieve everything I set my mind to.  Go Comets, WHOOSH. 

The Rewards of Student Mentoring

By Vinni Anadham

At UT Dallas we have wonderful student leadership programs that do work within and outside the university to help our community grow. One of them is the UTD-HBI Mentoring program with AVID students at Williams High School where UT Dallas students work with the 9th and 10th graders. This program is funded by the US Department of Justice through a nonprofit organization, the Home Builders Institute in Washington, DC. 

On our campus the EPPS School leads the program, however all current UT Dallas students are eligible to join. The program’s goal is for current college students to motivate high school students to attend college and answer any questions that they might have about college life. The student coaches, including myself, spend a couple hours with them on a Friday afternoon, once every month while enjoying a slice of pizza or two! Every meeting, there is always a new surprise waiting for us, whether it’s a game, project, or trip!!  

I joined in October of last semester and attended my first event in November when we all went over to Williams High School for a Scavenger Hunt. All of the mentors were divided up with our own set of 5-6 students to find random items around the school. It was my first time there, and I had expected it would take time for the students to get to know me. But the minute I met my group, we clicked and were laughing at jokes as if we’ve known each other for years. I was amazed to see how welcoming the high school students were to a complete stranger.

Obviously being a student mentor requires a lot of responsibility, because despite professors, teachers, and other adults present there, you are in charge of your group and they don’t always want to do what’s asked of them. So it’s necessary for you to make sure they are all there, and staying on task. Younger students will more likely listen to older students rather than the adults. They look up to older students as role models, so even though it’s fun to chat with them, we have to remember to set good examples for them so that the world is a much happier place for everyone.

Since I’ve joined we have done a variety of things such as learning how to knit,  organizing a mini demo of college life on campus, and even a Christmas celebration. Currently we’re getting ready for our big end of the year event, and along with that we will donate some "get well" items to children who are hospitalized with cancer and long term illnesses.

I enjoy being with the students not only because they remind me of the fun high school years, but also because they are so much fun to hang out with.  Unfortunately we only get to meet them once a month, but I have to say that I’m always looking forward to our Fridays together!! 

In Defense of the Dining Hall

By Blake Eaton

I hear a lot of talk about the Dining Hall at UT Dallas. By itself, that’s not surprising. Eating is a pretty big part of anybody’s life—especially a college student’s—and plenty of students eat their meals at the Dining Hall. More surprising to me is the amount of criticism levied at the Dining Hall. I know I’m in the minority, but I think the food offered there is pretty good. No. I think it’s great!

There are plenty of reasons why I defend the Dining Hall, but I’ll start with a small point of criticism. While the food at the Dining Hall is almost always high quality, there are plenty of times when it isn’t there. If you aren’t there at the right time, then there will be nothing but salad and a few pieces of fruit available. As such, you need to build your schedule around the Dining Hall’s. That’s inconvenient, but not terrible.

Aside from that question of availability, I have very little bad to say about the Dining Hall. On a typical day, there’s something for everyone. Pizza is a standby, as is the salad bar and fruit. The main food options are handily split between vegetarian and non-vegetarian sections, and they change nearly every day. This can be unfortunate on the days when none of the selections look appetizing, but it’s a godsend most of the time. In college, one of the primary concerns is that food will get repetitive, and unless you restrict yourself to the basics, that won’t happen at UT Dallas’ Dining Hall.

I admit, any judgment of taste is by definition subjective, so I don’t have any concrete facts to support this, but I think the food at the Dining Hall is generally quite good. In fact, the worst I can say is that sometimes it’s only decent. I’ve heard the food described as “hit-or-miss” by some, but even they admit that a “miss” doesn’t mean the food is horrible. On most days, it’s just decent. There’s nothing special, but it isn’t unpleasant to eat. On good days, though, the food is nothing short of delicious. On those days, everything goes well and all is right in the world.

You could probably get all kinds of reviews of the Dining Hall, and a lot of people would find more to complain about than to praise. I, for one, am a fan of the Dining Hall’s food.

Come One, Come All to Mock Trial

By Alexandra Noll

Mock Trial at UT Dallas is a growing program, and I highly encourage anyone who is even thinking they might be interested in practicing law to come check us out.  We meet Wednesdays in Green Center 1.208B (CV Classroom) from 7 to 10 p.m.  In the fall, we had three teams, and we attended practice tournaments to gain experience and test arguments.  This year, we went to St. Louis, Colorado Springs, Houston, and Ada, Ohio. 

In the spring, we condensed to two teams, A & B, and UT Dallas actually hosted the Regional Competition.  The A Team, which I was fortunate enough to place on, took 6th place and advanced to Superregionals in Memphis Tennessee. 

I chose to participate because I am interested in practicing law, and mock trial seemed to be a great way to practice public speaking and learn legal concepts. However, I would recommend mock trial to anyone.  We have theater majors, accounting majors, business majors, EPPS majors, ATEC majors, and we welcome anyone who is interested to come and participate. Even if you're not sure if law is the path you want to take, mock trial is a useful and fun activity to determine your level of interest.

We work roughly five hours a week, split between individual team meetings and meetings with all three teams.  Currently, we're working on criminal cases, which will be the case type next year.  Please come check us out!