Back Talk Far North Dallas

UT San Antonio's plagiarism blunder

Students at the University of Texas at San Antonio recently authored a code of honor to discourage cheating and plagiarism on campus. There was just one problem: they plagiarized part of it. How’s that for ironic?
According to a San Antonio Express-News story, UT San Antonio students lifted an entire passage from Brigham Young University’s honor code without any attribution.
The UT San Antonio Student who oversaw the honor code project said the plagiarism was unintentional, and proper citation will be added. Let’s sure hope so.

More on Random Circumstance's Jennifer Lindsey

This month we featured local band Random Circumstance in our Launch segment. During a recent jam session at an Uptown bar, band members filled me in on the roundabout way they all met, and their music—including “Stupid Mistake,” an original song that was written by lead singer Jennifer Lindsey to raise awareness about drunk driving.
And although it wasn’t included in the print edition, Lindsey filled me in on her inspiration for writing that song. The song is a tribute to her Delta Gamma sorority sister, who was killed by a drunk driver while the two were attending Louisiana State University. Lindsey actually witnessed her friend’s death: She was watching her cross the street when a drunk driver’s car hit and dragged her.
As you can imagine, that experience had a lasting effect on Lindsey’s life, and her music. You can read more about how Lindsey is now trying to raise drunk driving awareness on local college campuses in a recent story that ran in TCU’s Daily Skiff.

And the gas contest winner is?

Matt Wood of East Dallas, who gets $50 in restaurant gift certificates for finding the most expensive gas in our Back Talk contest.

Matt found the winning entry, $3.299, at the Texaco station at Skillman and Live Oak. If we had only waited a week, though, we would have had really great prices. Over the weekend, I saw many $3.30s and even some close to $3.40.

Need a sign to show support for DISD's "Vote YES!" campaign?

If you support the $1.35 billion May 10 DISD bond vote and want to make sure your neighbors know which way you're leaning, you can stop by the corner of Field Street and Woodall Rogers Freeway Sunday, March 30, from 1-3 a.m. to pick up yard signs, campaign materials, stickers and other promotional items. No need for a reservation, according to Taylor Mayad: Just stop by and load up.

"UnNatural Disasters" opens tonight at UTD

A new art exhibition is opening tonight at UTD – if that’s up your alley, you can attend the free reception tonight from 6:30-9:30 in the Visual Arts building.
The exhibition, “UnNatural Disasters,” takes an artistic look at things that have been altered from their normal state, thanks to “misinterpretation,, manipulation, exploitation or neglectful intervention,” according to curtator Greg Metz. Works by eleven artists will be included in the show, which runs through Friday, April 18.

The impromptu Hunt and Natinsky cage match leads to an interesting zoning discussion

Buried on Page 6 of today's DMN is an interesting story that says more about the future growth and vitality of the city than most of the other stuff in today's newspaper. The News story describes a "sharp Dallas City Council debate over how much power an individual member should have when it comes to development in her district."

At the center of the excitement, as often seems to be the case these days, is that renegade councilman Angela Hunt, who this time appears to be trying to broker some type of compromise between neighborhood residents and a developer proposing a retail/residential development at Lovers Lane and Matilda Road (better known as a bunch of older apartments just east of Central Market). Note: The project is in her council district, and more often than not, council members defer to the zoning judgment of the representative who should know the area best. Now, whether this is a good idea or not is certainly debatable, but as a general rule, that's the way things are done here in Dallas.

The Mayor's student fellowship program fulfills another campaign promise

The Mayor's Intern Fellows is the third of Tom Leppert's efforts to help improve DISD, according to the DMN, and it's another winner on both the PR and practical fronts. The program will place "more than 100" sophomores and juniors from four of DISD's high schools (Adamson, Carter, Madison and North Dallas) with about 30 major corporations that have agreed to accept and fund up to five students for a paid, eight-week summer internship program. Among the companies identified as participatingL AT&T, Texas Instruments, Coca Cola and Chase Bank. The students will be paid $9 per hour for a 40-hour work week, so they can earn about $2,880 during the program.

The only negative: By requiring participating corporations to pay the students, a number of other companies that would otherwise participate simply can't afford to do so. Another interesting point: DISD already offers a similar internship program for seniors at various high schools, but that program also requires companies to pay the students. As a result, many great learning experiences are never made available to students, even though there are plenty of companies out there that would be willing to give the program — sans stipend — a go.

Half Price Book's 100th store celebration

Half Price Books is celebrating the grand opening of its 100th store in Garland this weekend, which means freebies for you. If you're one of the first 100 people through the door of the new store any day now through Monday, March 31, you'll get a free tote bag and $5 gift card (which can go surprisingly far at Half Price Books). Plus one lucky shopper a day will win a $200 gift card.

JCC's Haggar pant sale this weekend

This weekend, you can stock up on brand new pants for just $5 a pair – but sorry ladies, this sale is only for gentlemen.
The folks at the Jewish Community Center are having a Haggar pants sale this Sunday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the senior assembly room. There will be dressy and casual pants in stock (sizes 30–42, and 44+) and all proceeds from the sale will benefit senior programs at the JCC.

Second Chance SPCA's birthday bash

If you're in the market for a new furry friend (or if animals are just near and dear to your heart), check out Second Chance SPCA's birthday celebration this weekend. The no-kill animal adoption center is celebrating its second year in operation this Sunday, March 30, from 1 – 4 p.m.
There'll be plenty of adoptable dogs and cats onsite – plus a dog/owner look-a-like contest, carnival games, face painting, and cake with ice cream (including some of the animals too, of course).