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The UTA Planetarium and College of Science celebrated the one-year anniversary of their space-cultivated Moon Tree on Tuesday afternoon at the Planetarium, teaching attendees about the sapling’s off-Earth history. The Planetarium received the sweetgum sapling from NASA and the United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service on April 24, 2024, and planted it outside the Chemistry and Physics Building the next day, according to previous Shorthorn reporting. The sapling received its nickname Moon Tree after being one of several seedlings to orbit around the moon during Artemis I, an uncrewed lunar orbit mission. Since its arrival at UTA, Planetarium coordinator McKenna Dowd said in an email the Moon Tree has grown to be 54 inches tall. “I’m so thrilled that we’re a part of history in a sense,” Dowd said. Dowd gave a presentation about Artemis I’s mission during the event. Five different tree species seedlings orbited the moon: Douglas Fir, Loblolly Pine, Giant Sequoia, American Sycamore and Sweetgum. The seeds were sent into space for two reasons: to continue understanding how seeds can be taken into space and grow upon their return – a vital role for the future of human space exploration – and to give communities a living connection to space exploration, she said. NASA’s Orion spacecraft carried the seeds, performing a half revolution of six days in an orbit 43,730 miles from the surface of the moon. “It went farther than any human has ever travelled in space,” Dowd said. Researchers measured the seedlings’ growth after their return to Earth, and their findings suggest that if the seeds are stored in sub-optimal conditions for a short period, they will continue to grow despite space travel, she said. “This is huge for space exploration,” Dowd said in her presentation. Artemis I saplings have taken root at 236 locations across the United States and organizations are cultivating more than just trees, she said. They are sparking curiosity about space, nurturing community connections and fostering a deeper understanding of NASA’s missions. Once the show ended, guests enjoyed refreshments and participated in activities such as making a space souvenir and building a small, personal herb garden. Ashley Garza, College of Science special events and alumni coordinator, said she wanted to help Dowd celebrate the Moon Tree through the “build a herb garden” activity, as it was a great way to connect outer space with environmental science. “I think we’ve had a great turnout,” she said. “It’s simple, it’s also a study break for the students to do something.” Nursing juniors Jackie Rodriguez and Carolina Trevizo participated in building their own herb garden. Trevizo said she chose cilantro because she uses the plant often, and Rodriguez said she chose borage because of the beautiful picture of the plant shown at the event. “We were just walking in here and we saw everything set up and so we just came back when it started,” Trevizo said. “We were just interested by the plants and stuff.” Looking forward to next year, Dowd said she hopes more UTA students will get involved with the Moon tree and NASA research, whether they are an art major, environmental science major or pursuing any other field of study. “I’m super excited to just have a way for the community to learn about the Moon Tree and connect,” she said. “And hopefully get super excited and more involved with its presence on campus.” news-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu

With commencement for the spring semester coming up May 9 at Globe Life Field, here is everything graduates should know about the ceremonies. Graduates do not need commencement tickets, but must print and present their GradPass at the ceremony. GradPasses will be available through Tassel. Guest tickets will be released Thursday through the MLB Ballpark App or the My Rangers Tickets mobile browser. Printed or screenshotted tickets will not be accepted at Globe Life Field and seating is first come, first serve. All bags and purses must be soft-sided and not exceed 16-by-16-by-8 inches. Prohibitions include, but are not limited to: banners or items that may obstruct view, glitter or confetti, noisemakers, or drones. Backpacks are not allowed, even clear ones. Parking is free for ticketed guests, who can park at four nearby lots. Parking shuttles and wheelchair escorts are available upon request. The Globe Life Field parking map can be found online. Graduates should plan to arrive at Globe Life Field at least 75 minutes before their ceremony start time. Doors open 60 minutes before each ceremony for guests. UTA commencement ceremonies last about two to two and a half hours. Flash Photography will be present at all UTA commencement ceremonies and will take two photos of each graduate as they walk the stage. Complimentary proofs will be mailed to graduates one week after the ceremony. A live stream will be available at go.uta.edu/commencement. news-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu

All 27 UTA students who had their Student and Exchange Visitor Information System records terminated have had them reinstated after a federal reversal, university spokesperson Joe Carpenter confirmed Tuesday in an email. The changes come following an announcement by the U.S. Department of Justice on Friday, which notified the reinstatement of thousands of international students whose visa registrations were revoked due to minor, and often dismissed, legal infractions, according to Politico. The revocations were scrutinized by courts, with many judges deeming the mass terminations of students from a federal database as flagrantly illegal. As of April 11, 176 students across the UT System had their visas revoked by the federal government, according to the Austin American-Statesman. Nationwide, The New York Times analyzed that more than 1,500 visas at 222 schools were canceled. The terminations caused concern for many international students who feared they might lose their legal immigration status and could be quickly deported. An immigration lawyer told The Shorthorn that many people in these cases tend to self-deport voluntarily without contacting an immigration attorney. “This remains a very fluid situation, and the UTA Office of International Education continues to work directly with all affected students to keep them updated on their individual statuses and to assist in supporting their individual needs,” Carpenter said. Multiple Texas universities have confirmed that their students’ visas have been restored, including UT Austin, University of North Texas and Texas A&M University. Information on international students, scholars and exchange visitors is maintained in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System record. The record is distinct from a student visa, but it does contain the student’s visa number, its issuance and expiration dates. The U.S. Department of State can revoke a student’s visa if they fail to maintain its terms, which include an insufficient course load or working without authorization, according to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. In recent attempts to strip student visas, President Donald Trump’s administration did not provide specific reasons for most cases. When UTA confirmed the 27 students impacted by the efforts to terminate visas, President Jennifer Cowley said the university did not have specifics behind the decisions to revoke visas. During an April 16 campus event, Cowley said students were allowed to continue enrollment even if their status was revoked. The Department of Justice said that the Immigration and Customs Enforcement is working on a new policy regarding students studying in the U.S. on F-1 visas granted to noncitizens studying full-time in the country, according to Politico. The policy will provide a “framework for SEVIS record terminations.” @DangHLe news-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu

The University Center’s Rosebud Theatre was transformed into a colorful display of culture Monday evening during One Night in Asia, bringing various traditions from food to song and dance performances. Hosted by the Intercultural Student Engagement Center as part of its Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month celebrations, the annual event saw individuals and student organizations take the stage, with some donning cultural attire. Aysia Nguyễn, Intercultural Student Engagement Center student development and outreach coordinator, said the event’s goal is to celebrate and teach Mavericks about AAPI culture, bringing awareness to it and giving attendees a good time. “As an AAPI first-gen myself, it’s always been really important for me when I was in school and now as a professional, to bring exposure to students from my community, but also bring in students from different communities to be a part of that,” Nguyễn said. Students arriving at the theater were greeted by a diverse platter of meal options from Prince Lebanese Grill, ranging from falafel to burma baklava. Signage at the entrance showcased prominent Asian figures in activism, music and science. The crowd held their breath when the first performers, a duo from the Nepalese Student Association, took the stage for their traditional dance. The pair wore the clothing of the Magar, one of Nepal’s largest ethnic groups, according to Britannica. Eyes across the auditorium were drawn in as their red and blue dresses flowed in synchronization with their dances. Sparsha Acharya, Nepalese Student Association president, performed with event manager Isuna Bhusal. Acharya said they wanted to showcase their culture and religion and found the event a good outlet to do so. Practicing for the performance brought them closer. “I love dancing and I love showing my culture,” Bhusal said. “So to make friends through the culture and dance is like an experience that connects both things that I like.” Following a few individual performances, several members of the Indian Mavericks Society dance team took the stage. It highlighted different states in India, representing all the Indian languages spoken at UTA. The crowd erupted in cheers as dancers transitioned with the music through each individual state. Yash Ajariwal, Indian Mavericks Society president, said performing at One Night in Asia was a great opportunity to represent Indian culture on a diverse platform while collaborating with other Asian communities on campus. During their performance, he said he felt a mix of excitement and pride seeing the community engaged and enjoying their performance. Multiple Asian organizations took to the stage and performed throughout the night. Between performances, attendees participated in raffle giveaways and trivia games. Anthony Danh, vice president for the Korean Culture Association and the Thai, Lao & Cambodian Association, said while he wasn’t participating in the performances, he attended the event with his clubs to show support and celebrate Asian culture. Danh said sharing his Lao culture felt liberating, especially since it isn’t expressed as much on campus. “It’s really beneficial to students, not only just to come out and socialize and see what’s on campus, but to also learn more about the cultures and how they’re presented on campus,” he said. The Korean Culture Association was the last organization in the spotlight. KCA Elite, one of the organization’s dancing groups, made the crowd roar after finishing their performance with multiple solo dance segments. KCA Elite member Rhythm Butler said it’s always fun to be on stage with friends, and while their performance took a lot of practice and days spent drilling in the hot sun, it was worth it in the end. “You get to exist in a different world when you get to perform,” Butler said. “It’s just so nice to put on a show, especially with other people that you work so hard with.” @PMalkomes @samip.parajuli.54 news-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu

Behind the signage of logos, sponsors and partners on Globe Life Field’s outfield is Brian Nephew’s team. The Arlington native and lifelong Texas Rangers fan said he got lucky in landing his current position. As a UTA alumnus and vice president of partnerships for the Rangers, Nephew is a true American Dream City product. After starting in ticket sales almost a decade ago, Nephew now oversees the team’s day-to-day sales efforts and partnerships with nearly 200 brands, including Coca-Cola, T-Mobile, SeatGeek and Globe Life and Accident Insurance Company, who own the naming rights to the Rangers’ home ballpark. “I just fell in love with [baseball], probably just early on,” he said. “I just loved watching the Rangers growing up and turning on Sunday Night Baseball at home and watching all the pro teams, but specifically the Rangers.” He credits his time playing baseball at UTA for teaching him lessons not only in the sports industry but in life in general. It’s no secret what the 2023 World Series run meant for Rangers fans and the City of Arlington. Capturing its first championship in franchise history, the team ended its drought of being the MLB’s oldest organization without a title. Nephew called the championship run the best month of his life. “It was my professional and my personal career, my lives kind of crashing,” he said. “A decade with the team and being in Arlington my whole life, it was unbelievable.” The run has set even higher expectations for Nephew and the rest of the organization. “The easy way to put it is that the expectations now after winning the World Series in ‘23 is that we want to be a top five franchise in Major League Baseball,” he said. However, the Rangers face a unique challenge in achieving so. As of March 2025, the team ranks as the 12th most valuable MLB franchise, according to Forbes. Although Arlington is a hub for sports entertainment, most teams ahead of them are considered “major markets”: Los Angeles, New York, Chicago and Philadelphia to name a few. Being neighbored with the most valuable in all sports, the Dallas Cowboys could also be a challenge for the Rangers. Nephew credits his time playing baseball at UTA for teaching him lessons not only in the sports industry but in life in general. Ray Casas, Texas Rangers Baseball Foundation community impact director, said he and Nephew take a lot of pride in being UTA alumni. “Growing up with the Rangers in our backyard, going to college at UTA and then getting to win a World Series ring, it’s pretty special,” Casas said. K.J. Hendricks, Los Angeles Angels scout and former UTA baseball player, served as Nephew’s assistant coach for his junior and senior seasons. Unlike Nephew, Hendricks was drafted to the MLB in 2002 and spent six seasons in the minor leagues. However, Nephew’s senior season had teams looking in his direction. In 2011, Nephew was selected to the All-Southland Conference second team in his senior season at UTA. On the mound, he played as a third baseman and was a strong hitter, finishing fourth in the regular conference that season with a .356 batting average. He also recorded 31 RBIs and led the Mavericks with 105 total bases. Playing professional baseball was always his goal, but not being drafted was a wake-up call. Despite not making the MLB, Nephew said everything worked out for the best. “Closing that chapter and going to the next corporate life kind of turned the page to make some money and get out of debt and all that stuff,” he said. “That was a big impact, it kind of changed my life.” Despite his talent, Hendricks best remembers Nephew for his leadership on and off the field. “The biggest thing that doesn’t do justice when you look at the stats with Brian is he was a good team leader. He galvanized guys, he brought good energy,” Hendricks said. “You've got to have those good locker room guys to help push the others forward and hold them accountable and encourage them and do all those things. Brian did a lot of those naturally.” Nephew’s principles as a teammate have carried into his future, regarding how he runs operations and treats his team. Nephew hopes to spend his entire career with the Rangers, the organization that has meant so much to him and his family. He met his wife, Bethany Nephew, during his tenure with the team and the pair have a son, Madden Nephew. She works with Casas, serving as the Texas Rangers Baseball Foundation foundation event director. “The most important thing that I’ve learned is, now that I’m in a leadership role, just being vulnerable, being able to be a good teammate and be accountable for your colleagues,” he said. “If you do that, then everything else will take care of itself.” @babyboimatt sports-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu

With the semester winding down, softball, baseball and track and field look to finish their regular seasons strong. Here is the schedule for Tuesday through May 5. Baseball UTA baseball looks to continue its success against Texas Christian University at 6 p.m. Tuesday in Fort Worth, Texas. The Mavericks defeated the Horned Frogs earlier in the season 6-4. The game will be available to stream on ESPN+. The team will then prepare for a three-game series against conference foe Utah Valley University starting 6 p.m. Friday at Clay Gould Ballpark. The series will continue 2 p.m. Saturday with the finale at noon Sunday. Softball The softball team will finish its regular season with a three-game series against Seattle University at Allan Saxe Field. The series will start with a doubleheader at 3 and 5:30 p.m. Friday and the finale will take place noon Saturday. All games will be available to stream on ESPN+. Track and field Track and field will compete in the TCU Horned Frog Invitational on Saturday in Fort Worth, Texas as its final meet before Western Athletic Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships. @tdreevess sports-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu

The Arlington Renegades (3-2) took on the DC Defenders (4-1) on Sunday in a deciding game for first place in the United Football League. Arlington lost 37-33. Quarterback Luis Perez threw a 63-yard touchdown to wide receiver Deontay Burnett. The Renegades would score a field goal, gaining an 11-0 lead. Arlington scored four times on their first five drives, with three touchdowns and a field goal. But cracks began to show in the second half as offense couldn’t keep up with the Defenders. “You gotta give their coaching staff and players credit for making plays and hanging in there to give their self a chance to come back,” Renegades head coach Bob Stoops said. At the start of the third quarter, D.C. led a comeback attempt to stop Arlington and score a touchdown, bringing the game within seven points. Both teams traded scores repeatedly before the quarter ended with the Renegades leading by eight going into the fourth. Defensive end Chris Odom said the team’s defense will need to improve its play in the future. “That’s not our standard,” Odom said. “That’s not the best of our abilities that we’ve been playing the last four weeks. We’ll watch the film and clean it up.” After two Renegades field goals, D.C. brought the game within three points with a touchdown and a successful conversion attempt. The Defenders got the ball back with two minutes left in the fourth quarter in a drive that would decide the game. D.C. would score a touchdown and get a successful one-point conversion to go up 37-33 with 57 seconds left in the game. Arlington went down the field on their last possession, but after Perez was intercepted with 10 seconds left, the game was sealed. “We got to make sure we stay locked in above the neck and make sure we do our part,” he said. Perez finished the game with 268 passing yards, one touchdown and one interception. Running back Kalen Ballage had 79 yards on 10 attempts with one touchdown run. The Renegades will hit the road for their next game 7 p.m. Friday against the St. Louis Battlehawks. @wall035203 news-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu

Kara Dill, UTA softball head coach, will join the Athletes Unlimited Softball League’s coaching staff for its inaugural season. Launching in June, four teams will play 24 games in the professional women’s softball league. Athletes Unlimited is an organization dedicated to empowering women’s sports. The league also partnered with ESPN to stream at least 18 games. Amid the rising popularity of women’s sports, the new league will allow softball players to play professionally without traveling overseas. “I don’t think it’s a question that people think softball players deserve a chance to continue playing at the pro level,” Dill said. “They haven’t even reached the peak of their athleticism by the time they graduate.” Currently in her third season at the helm for UTA softball, Dill will serve as the associate head coach for team Blaze. She said she will be responsible for managing its matchups and rotations. Having prior coaching experience in a professional softball league, Dill said she has seen what the sport has to offer for athletes. She credits the relationships she’s made for the opportunity to coach in the league. The league plans on expanding into a city-based league in 2026, creating home bases for each team. In its inaugural season, teams Blaze, Bandits, Talons and Volts will travel to 10 cities to play games, including Seattle, Chicago and Austin, Texas. Accepting the position comes with a sacrifice for Dill. Traveling with the league means she’ll be away from UTA during the summer, which is prime recruiting time. However, Dill said she will continue recruiting with the help of her staff. “It wouldn’t be something that I would do if it was going to pull away from UTA or my job here or my athletes here,” Dill said. “They are my number one priority, so having an opportunity where both things can work together is really a dream come true.” Dill hopes the opportunity can help her as a coach while establishing a legacy and said she understands the weight of being a part of something that hasn’t been done before. “Understanding, ‘How can I contribute to the sustainability of this league?,” she said. “I think that will be something that will be really impactful for me and for the summer.” @babyboimatt sports-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu

Tre’s Bar-B-Q doesn't go about things the traditional way. In the back of the Maverick Dining kitchen, executive sous chef Austin Banks and his crew use an indoor smoker to slowly cook 18 to 22 briskets each night for next-day service. “We put in a system in place to where we always want to be ready for the next day,” Banks said. The setup was years in the making for Banks and Maverick Dining. Banks used to bring his own barbecue pit to smoke meat for catering events on campus, he said. After receiving positive feedback and hosting a few sold-out events, the concept slowly baked into a full-fledged campus restaurant in January 2025. Now, Tre’s Bar-B-Q looks to establish a unique experience among Arlington’s ever-growing barbecue scene — teaching student workers how to cut meats, offering vegetarians alternative options like baked potatoes with beans, corn or other toppings and introducing international students to the vast world of barbecue. “It's something that brings all cultures together,” Banks said. For sous-chef David Patton, these conversations with students opened his mind. “I can recall just a quick story of seeing international students and they're asking me questions where I'm like, ‘Oh you don't know what coleslaw is?’” Patton said. “But then having to backtrack and be like, ‘You know what? Maybe this person doesn't know what coleslaw is. They’ve never ever seen it.’” These interactions are what shape Tre’s Bar-B-Q’s flavors as it grows into its space within the university. The restaurant looks to bring barbecue to all parts of campus and do so with care. To do so, they also add something traditional. “We put love,” Banks said. “It's all about the love and what you put into it.”

Marc Fadel woke up at 7:40 a.m. on a Thursday. Around noon, he would start prepping for his barbecue food truck’s 5 p.m. Friday opening. Trim the brisket. Make the rubs and sauces. Prep the vegetables. But there was an issue. “I got to UTA so fast,” Fadel said. “I’m running across campus, and I got there, 8:02. Luckily, the professor still let me take the exam.” At 18 years old, Fadel is a construction management freshman at UTA who also runs his business, Habibi Barbecue, on West Arkansas Lane. During the week, he enjoys college life: taking some classes online at Tarrant County College, playing basketball at the Maverick Activities Center and eating Panda Express in the University Center. Starting Wednesday, he begins prepping his barbecue rub for Friday and Saturday openings. On one Saturday, his brisket and ribs sold out within two hours. “Almost 200 pounds of meat — gone,” Fadel said. The food truck, which opened in September, is already on Texas Monthly’s radar. It’s a family affair. His parents, both UTA alumni, help with prep and service. His girlfriend works the counter. Born to Lebanese immigrants, Fadel creates a fusion of traditional Texas barbecue with his favorite flavors from his culture — garlic potatoes, hummus, house-made garlic aioli and tzatziki. As Fadel talked about his food truck, his face beamed with pride as he went through every piece of equipment. It’s that attention to detail that he brings to his barbecue. The bark on his roundly trimmed prime brisket. The pork belly cubes, hand-seasoned one by one. He dry-brines his meat a day in advance, then makes all his rubs and sauces by hand, including a signature bright red sauce made with Big Red. He then smokes the meat with seasoned post oak sourced from Paris, Texas. Fadel credited his drive to high school. As an Arlington Independent School District senior, he juggled culinary competitions, working 40 hours a week as a pitmaster at Tex-Ethiopian restaurant Smoke’N Ash BBQ and filming a TV documentary called “BBQ High” on Max — all while being a student in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. “I put my heart and my soul in this. I love it. Sweat, tears, blood,” he said. “A lot of blood — I cut myself a lot.” Fadel doesn’t talk much about the future for fear of jinxing himself. However, he has thought of a restaurant with a few booths and a nice wood finish in five years. He wants it to be in Pantego, Texas, or Dalworthington Gardens in Arlington. He has been playing “Restaurant Tycoon” on Roblox to prepare for that moment. For now, though, he’s enjoying UTA, which he loves despite it not being his first choice. He’s staying in school in case the barbecue business doesn’t work out as planned. He doesn’t mind being recognized on campus or while shopping for ingredients for his documentary appearance. And on Sundays, Fadel puts on his “body by brisket” shirt and enjoys sleeping in. @DangHLe news-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu

Barbecue has been a journey for 225° BBQ co-owner Rene Ramirez — literally. Before settling into its current location on East Main Street in east Arlington, 225° BBQ started as a food truck in Dallas in 2018. Then, it bounced to Grand Prairie, Texas, to various parking lots and eventually to where it is now. Although the location didn’t work out for a while, they were asked to come back and now own the spot. But Ramirez has not settled. He starts his day at around 3 a.m., trimming briskets, boiling beans and prepping sides. Some nights, he doesn’t sleep until midnight. “By the second day, third day, I’ve already worked like 40 hours, and then the week just started,” he said. At its current location, where the smoky scene of brisket drifts through the air, a mural of singer Selena Quintanilla-Pérez lies on the wall as an intentional effort to represent the marriage of Texas pride and Mexican culture. It’s that culture of identity, history and hustle that led 225° BBQ to become KERA’s best barbecue joint in North Texas, voted by more than 9,000 readers in 2023. The Mexi-cue fuses traditional Texas barbecue with Mexican flavors and draws a loyal following. Ramirez estimated that around 70% of his customers are from word-of-mouth, with some coming religiously around once or twice a week. On the menu, brisket and shrimp tacos both have places alongside barbecue plates. With its meat, 225° BBQ provides something savory, sweet — and plenty of spice — that goes beyond salt and pepper. The rub has barely changed since the start. That meat is smoked with post oak and pecan wood in a two-to-one ratio that Ramirez sources from east Texas. After years of bouncing around, 225° BBQ now has a team of seven or eight. Ramirez never forgets its beginning. It’s the years of practicing barbecue in his backyard, taking orders from roadside pop-ups to the food truck, that have brought him here. It’s that failed brisket at his family cook-off over a decade ago that started it all. His brother, who won that cook-off, is now his business partner. “It’s still my baby at the end of the day,” Ramirez said. “I gotta make sure everything’s right.” Multimedia editor Ronaldo Bolaños contributed to this reporting. @DangHLe news-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu

Behind the modest-sized, single-story Hurtado Barbecue restaurant on East Front Street, five 1,000-gallon smokers run simultaneously. It’s around 2:15 p.m. on a recent Friday. Two pitmasters have been in the smoker area trimming and preparing the meat since 4 a.m. Soon they will tag out for the two other pitmasters who will stay past closing when necessary. “There’s no cutting corners, any of that,” pitmaster Chris Kurosky said. The smokers cook the chickens, sausages and briskets — all menu items that brought Hurtado Barbecue from serving at pop-up events to opening three brick-and-mortar locations in two years. Outside of the Arlington location, UTA alumnus Brandon Hurtado and his wife own restaurants in Dallas, Fort Worth and Mansfield. What makes Hurtado’s winning recipe? “The love we put into this,” Kurosky said. Hurtado Barbecue’s Mexi-cue flavor offers unusual fare like quail and sweet, plump bacon burnt ends. Its cultural influence is presented from the dry rubs to sides like street corn with spices and crema. On adventurous days, you can get the tostada, which consists of smoked brisket topped with refried beans, salsa verde, Valentina hot sauce, cotija cheese, cilantro and onions. As Kurosky sliced raw pork belly, his fellow pitmaster Joe Ponce tossed them in the spice blend, which is a Hurtado’s recipe but is packaged from a manufacturer that can produce big volumes. They work in tandem. Kurosky has more than 15 years of barbecue experience. “We all got a good amount of experience. This isn’t the place you come to learn barbecue. It’s a place you better know your barbecue,” he said, laughing. Heat radiates from the smokers. Once summer hits, the smoker area may reach around 135 degrees, Kurosky said. As the time goes on, they are gradually turned off. But as of right now, they need to make enough briskets for customers. No one wants a barbecue place that runs out of briskets, he said. At the front, customers lined up from the counter to outside the door, eager to put in their orders for Hurtado’s bold, sweet and spicy interpretation of Mexi-cue. @DangHLe news-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu