Are you ready for another Taylor Swift album? Swift’s 12th original album, her fifth this decade, “The Life of a Showgirl,” dropped Friday. With 12 tracks and a runtime of almost 42 minutes, it is Swift’s shortest album, a stark contrast to her recent efforts, including the 122-minute runtime of last year’s “The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology.” To create “The Life of a Showgirl,” Swift partnered with producers Max Martin and Shellback, who worked on “Red,” “1989” and “Reputation.” Although promoted with the glitz and glamour of a showgirl and written during Swift’s Eras Tour, “The Life of a Showgirl” doesn’t quite match the aesthetic of its pre- and post-release visuals. That said, it wasn’t an inherently bad album. It isn’t full of “bangers,” as Swift suggested on Travis Kelce and Jason Kelce’s “New Heights” podcast; the songs were hit or miss. The opener and the best of the album, “The Fate of Ophelia,” offers an alternate happy ending for the heroine of the Shakespeare play “Hamlet,” the second time Swift has rewritten a tragic fate. She previously gave Romeo and Juliet a happy ending in “Love Story.” The album’s issues lie further in the tracklist. The infectious “Opalite” and “Wood” clash tonally with slower, more serious songs like “CANCELLED!” and “Father Figure,” as if they were meant to be on separate albums. Each track feels thematically disconnected, with topics ranging from the death of a childhood friend to flaunting luxury brands as a status symbol. Such contrasts make the album feel like an amalgamation of Swift’s previous 11 projects while it’s also attempting to replicate the humor of Sabrina Carpenter's tongue-in-cheek album “Man’s Best Friend.” “Eldest Daughter,” a slower ballad, is laden with slang in lines like “Every eldest daughter was the first lamb to the slaughter / So we all dressed up as wolves and we looked fire” that garner an eyeroll in a supposedly more serious track. Full of inspiration from other pop songs, Swift’s “Father Figure” holds an interpolation of George Michael’s “Father Figure.” The opening of “Wood” evokes the familiarity of The Jackson 5’s “I Want You Back.” Among the collaborators is Sabrina Carpenter, who appears on the title track to showcase the grind and glamour of the music industry. “I took her pearls of wisdom, hung them from my neck / I paid my dues with every bruise, I knew what to expect,” sings Swift, referencing the realities of the lifestyle after being warned to stay away by Kitty, a fictional character in the song. To celebrate the album's release, Swift's production company held a theatrical release called "Taylor Swift: The Official Release Party of a Showgirl" from Friday to Sunday, featuring a behind-the-scenes look at making the album, lyric videos and the official music video for "The Fate of Ophelia," which was later released on YouTube. In what seemed more like an elaborate cash grab, Swift dropped multiple variants of the vinyl and CD, a cassette and digital versions of the album, with minimal differences in content and in limited quantities. Neither triumph nor disaster, Swift’s latest drop is just mediocre. And that’s showbiz for ya. @marupudisairam editor.shorthorn@uta.edu

From Halloween events to music and shopping markets, Dallas-Fort Worth residents have plenty of events to choose from this week. Entertainment Feel a spooky adrenaline rush at Fright Fest at Six Flags Over Texas, featuring scare zones, haunted mazes, specialty food and drinks and more on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through Nov. 2. Tickets start at $30 for the Haunted Attractions Pass and $69 for park admission with the Haunted Attractions Pass. Explore half a mile of immersive pumpkin patch art at Pumpkin Nights through Oct. 31 at Howell Farms. Doors open at 6 p.m., and tickets must be purchased online. Tickets start at $22 for ages 13 and up and $16 for ages 4 to 12. Admission is free for children 3 and under. Parking costs an additional $10. Music Enjoy a throwback concert from Hard Night’s Day, a Beatles tribute group, and Paul Renna at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Levitt Pavilion. Admission is free. See a free show at noon Saturday at Toyota Music Factory during its Oktoberfest event. Celebrate the new fall season with live music, classic Oktoberfest food and games. Recreation The Melting Pot Market will be coming to Globe Life Field from 1 to 8 p.m. Sunday, featuring more than 200 booths with vintage clothes, jewelry, art and more. Admission starts at about $2, and tickets are available online. Feel culture and fun at Sabor y Motor Fest from noon to 7 p.m. Sunday at 1010 N. Collins St. Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month while enjoying live music, Latin food and a car show. Admission is free. @ayesha.haroonn news-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu

Director Paul Thomas Anderson bottled the anxious, helpless feeling of looking at the news, thinking that something needs to change and wondering what can be done, and injected it into “One Battle After Another.” It’s a worthwhile watch made up of tense action and political commentary, with strong performances and thrilling cinematic charm. Set in the implied present American West, “One Battle After Another” follows a group of revolutionaries, the French 75, as they pursue the mission of keeping those abusing their power in check. Released Friday, the nearly 3-hour dystopian tragicomedy features car chases, espionage and an ever-present anti-fascist message. The film is thought-provoking and funny, in a dark comedy kind of way. There is an incredible score for audiences to enjoy. There’s never a dull moment, and audiences can expect heart-racing scenes along with the comedic relief. The movie introduces the main characters as they help detained immigrants escape. They use a variety of tactics to carry out their objectives, everything from explosives to bank robberies to power grid attacks. Everything starts to crumble when the main antagonist, military officer Steven Lockjaw, played by Sean Penn, develops an obsession with the leader of the French 75, Perfidia Beverly Hills, played by Teyana Taylor. He stalks her, leading to a spiraling chain of events that the rest of the film follows, with him as a recurring villain. Audiences may find Lockjaw to be a stomach-churning kind of vile. The film stars Leonardo DiCaprio as one of the revolutionaries. When the film time-skips into the future, he has become an aimless stoner, living in hiding, alongside the daughter he had with Hills, due to most of the French 75 being caught by Lockjaw. There’s a comedic element throughout the film, even as the characters suffer tragedies. DiCaprio’s character, who goes by Bob in hiding, is a hot mess. He’s lost and constantly drunk or high, but when his daughter is kidnapped and he’s unexpectedly put right back into the action of his revolutionary days, he has to get it together. The process isn’t pretty, but it’s easy to be drawn to his humor as he fumbles his way back into the role of a revolutionary. Jonny Greenwood’s score for this film is perfect. The film would not have been complete without the fear-inducing soundtrack accompanying each scene, throwing the viewer into the action, whether they like it or not. Anderson has a way of drawing the viewer in until they’re so tense they can do nothing but watch the chaos play out. “One Battle After Another” follows that formula. It’s exciting and invested in the spectacle of filmmaking, hooking the viewer so they can’t look away. There are crystal clear messages about militarized violence against migrants in this film, and those in charge of the attacks are framed as irredeemable and pathetic. Penn’s character induces nothing but nausea during the runtime, and at best, he’s a laughing stock. The ending is hopeful, and that’s important. In the face of shocking acts of violence and evil individuals in power, a visceral sense of hope prevails. The film ends on a reaffirming note that resistance never dies and there’s worthwhile work to be done in the face of injustice. @hud4qureshi huda.qureshi@uta.edu

Folklore Grove Bookstore is not the kind of place you stumble upon — unless you look for hidden stories. The independent bookstore, located on West Abram Street, opened Friday with a line of customers out the door. The bookstore houses classic folklore and fantasy titles and local authors, and it shares the space with Smash Toast, a new gourmet sandwich shop. The shop is hidden within the restaurant behind a bookshelf. The small space, draped in curling vines, stars and soft pixie lights, emits a warm, golden glow that welcomes visitors inside the grove. Kait Thibeaux, owner of the bookstore and Arlington resident, 27, started her business after losing her full-time job in July. Bobby King, owner of Smash Toast and Fort Worth resident, 32, met Thibeaux through her husband. King has been friends with him since childhood. In January, talks began about opening a bookstore. King said when he found a restaurant location with a hidden bookshelf door, he knew it was meant to be. King and Thibeaux, with the help of friends and family, spent months remodeling the space to create the hybrid venture to house both businesses. “It’s cool doing business with your friends, but it’s even cooler to see your friends succeed in something that they really want to do,” King said. Casie Pawley, Arlington resident, 34, was one of the people who helped bring the dream to life. While she had a helping hand in almost everything, Pawley also mentioned taking ownership of the secondhand donated books that turned into the shop’s blind dates with a book idea. “My role in all this has really just been trying to fuel [Thibeaux’s] fire,” Pawley said. From sharing books with disability representation to housing local authors, Thibeaux said the bookstore allows her to share pieces of literature that expand customers’ comfort bubbles. Thibeaux dedicated two full bookshelves to 24 local authors, out of over 60 initial applicants, who got to display the books however they wanted. While looking through the applications, Thibeaux looked for things like how much traction the authors already had on Goodreads, what their reviews looked like and what the content in the books was, she said. She also had a small team of people read through the books, looking for things like grammar, if the book was professionally bound and edited, and if it caught the reader’s attention to maintain a good standard for the bookstore. “I get to help local authors be front-facing on a shelf rather than them trying to get into Barnes & Noble and be turned down,” she said. Jess Townsend, also known as J.A. Townsend, author of “The Valkyrie Covenant” duology, was featured on one of the local author shelves. She discovered the bookstore through Instagram and said she hopes audiences are excited to see her books on the store’s shelves. “I mean, you can find my books on Amazon and Barnes & Noble and all the big places, but I feel like there’s such a need for just a local indie bookstores,” she said. With little money to start, Thibeaux launched a fundraiser with four merchandise tiers: a tote bag for the first, a T-shirt for the second, both items for the third and for the last, the donor’s name engraved in one of the books on the secret bookshelf door, plus the T-shirt and tote bag. The fourth, and most expensive, tier was set at $100, a price that Thibeaux initially did not think anyone would pay. Forty individuals donated to that tier, and Thibeaux was able to raise $4,000 to help pay for books and bookshelves. The bookstore currently features some of Thibeaux’s favorites, like a collection of author Sarah J. Maas, less mainstream stories that are still popular and hidden gems with strong reviews. “What do I think people will pick up and go, ‘This isn’t a book I would have looked for, but it looks really interesting’ and then they read it and then they love it,” she said. “That’s my goal.” Fort Worth residents Manda Tuttle, 27, and Alejandra Gonzalez, 27, heard about the bookstore through a bookstore crawl and social media, respectively. With both of them being fantasy readers, which is the focus of the bookstore, they decided to take the 30-minute drive to the shop. As someone with disabilities herself, Thibeaux said she is passionate about disability representation and dedicated one of the bookshelves in her secret nook to books with protagonists with disabilities. “Seeing different kinds of representation in books, I think, expands our worldview, and so that gives me a chance to do that same thing for people,” she said. On the restaurant side, King, with a background in marketing, came up with the idea of creating a sandwich and coffee shop 11 years ago, posting about it on Facebook. The name of his restaurant came from the act of smashing toast in a panini press. The restaurant partners with Adams Family Farm, co-run by Jonathan Adams, to bake fresh sourdough bread and other pastries daily inhouse. The space was meant to feel like home, with to-go orders packed in brown bags and plastic baggies harboring notes filled with encouragement as though they were from a loved one. King said he wanted Smash Toast to embody the nostalgia of the early 2000s and Y2K for those who lived through the era and younger audiences experiencing it for the first time. From the skateboards lining the wall of the entrance to the VHS tapes in front of the register and the mural on the wall, King collected various items to decorate the restaurant to match its theme. “We wanted it to be grungy and all those things. And we’ve created that environment here,” he said. Wren Martin, Dallas-Fort Worth area artist, was approached by King, who she’s known for over a decade, to create the mural. The process took three weeks. The mural is modeled after a retro TV with the phrase “It’s Not a Phase” written in pink neon lettering. The color, also used in the bookstore’s logo, unites the businesses. The bookstore is tucked away behind a secret door, nestled inside a punk rock restaurant where rebellion hums through the speakers: It is a place where myths and misfits can coexist @_.lexlie_ @marupudisairam news-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu

Step inside any coffee shop, and you’re bound to find matcha — a Japanese powdered green tea. From being mixed into lattes and milkshakes, ice creams and brownies, it has grown from a ritual drink of monks and tea masters to a global obsession. Swiping on social media, which presents all things up-and-coming in the food world, one can easily see the chatter about matcha. Some chase down the “best” matcha in their city. Some invent recipes of the newest flavor combinations with it. And some use matcha to poke fun at the “performative male,” a social media archetype of men curating an aesthetic that he thinks would appeal to progressive women. But long before matcha became a buzzword, its history, variety and impact stretched back centuries. The history Like many social media sensations, matcha is not “new.” Tea master Sen no Rikyū codified the tea ceremony in Japan in the 16th century, placing matcha at its center. But the practice traces back to the early centuries in China, where powdered tea was used in Buddhist temples, said Fletcher Coleman, assistant professor of art history. Japanese monks brought the tradition home, valuing its highly caffeinated content and its spiritual role in meditation, Coleman said. By the Edo period from the 17th to 19th centuries, tea culture trickled down from elite circles into everyday society. “That’s a moment in time where wealth and power is shifting between social classes in Japan as a result of economic changes into the way society is structured,” he said. Modern matcha has different quality grades varying in taste and color. The ceremonial grade, considered the highest quality, is supposed to have hints of smoothness, sweetness and bitterness, said Elijah Castaneto, information systems senior and co-owner of the matcha pop-up Koicha. There’s also the culinary grade matcha, which leans more brownish-green and is used for making pastries, Castaneto said. “If you look at a piece of grass and it resembles the matcha powder, then it’s probably good,” Castaneto said. Traditionally, matcha growers would shade the plants before grinding them into a verdant dust. The process locks in its color and nutritional qualities. Matcha is prepared in single batches by adding hot, but not boiling, water and whisking vigorously to mix in the powder and froth the top. The finished product can be drunk directly from the bowl in which it was prepared. Or you pour it on top of steamed — or ice cold — milk for a matcha latte. “An aged one of these vessels is a valued object because it adds a degree of flavor to your cup of tea,” Coleman said. “But that’s why you don’t mix between, say, a black tea and a green tea in that vessel because it will affect the long-term flavor.” The variety On a sweltering Monday in September, students lined up opposite the Central Library for an event between Koicha and the student organization Society of Asian Scientists and Engineers. “I’m glad that culture is being spread,” said Hoang Long Phan, the organization’s president and a matcha drinker for 13 years. Castaneto carefully watched his baristas grind exactly 4 grams of matcha for each drink. His pop-up provided classic matcha lattes and also dabbled into flavors like strawberry, earl grey and jasmine teas, or served them with cold foam. Koicha usually draws inspiration from Asian flavors to mix with its matcha, which is sourced from Japan. Baristas have experimented with ube — a Filipino purple yam — for their pop-up events and are working on a coconut cloud matcha and a black sesame foam, Castaneto said. “I want to sell a drink that I believe represents actual Japanese matcha lattes, rather than American matcha lattes that are super milky,” he said. “You don’t taste the matcha, you more taste whatever syrup that they use and stuff like that.” Some choose to zhuzh their matcha up more subtly. Biology freshman Lwin Thein likes brown sugar with her matcha for a “little sweet hint,” she said. Computer science sophomore Denzel Nieves has matcha once or twice a week. He wants his drink with oat milk and honey. “I really look for the creamier matcha,” Nieves said. “I like the texture of it, and I like the taste of it.” The popularization of matcha has its negatives and positives, he said. On one hand, some have become more performative in drinking matcha, but on the other, stores are offering more variety. In March, Kayla Baluyot launched her pop-up, Matcha with Kay, at MavMarket, UTA’s student marketplace. Called “matcha-rista” — a combination of “matcha” and “barista” — by family and friends, she creates homemade syrups and adjusts them to her audience’s taste. A friend told Baluyot they didn’t like strawberry puree, so she strained out the pulp for a cleaner texture while maintaining the flavors. “I try to experiment to make sure that my flavors of syrups don’t overpower the matcha as well,” Baluyot said. “I just do my best to make sure they complement one another.” The impact As matcha globalized, Starbucks added the drink to its menu in 2006. Like many companies, it uses Chinese matcha, which is often considered inferior and used as a flavoring for things like matcha-flavored KitKat bars. However, many places now use Chinese matcha for their drinks due to a shortage of Japanese matcha stemming from poor weather. Starbucks’ matcha drinks have little similarity to traditional Japanese unsweetened powdered green tea, Coleman said. “Drinking a bowl of Japanese green tea is kind of a slap in the face more so than a really heavily sweetened drink,” he said. Yet, it’s some people’s cup of tea. “I like how the thickness of it is so textured, especially with the cold foam,” business sophomore Hawraa Altaie said. Altaie, though, liked the strawberry matcha that she got from Koicha after waiting in line, she said. “I like how different it is than regular coffee,” she said. “Doesn’t give you that anxious, shaky feeling. It’s just a fun drink.” Consumption of leaf green tea and matcha is continuing to expand. The global matcha market is expected to surge from about $2.8 billion in 2023 to about $4.7 billion by 2028, according to the market research firm The Business Research Company. Like many cultural exports, matcha’s tradition has been diluted on an everyday level, Coleman said. Still, whisks of authenticity remain. “For example, the vessels people use to drink tea from, or the quality of the tea that people drink now,” he said. Baluyot, who first had matcha as a kid, said she’s glad it’s popular but hopes it isn’t only reduced to negative connotations like the performative male trend — even if she thinks it’s funny. “At the end of the day, those are just social media things. That’s not really representative of the whole culture that goes behind all of this,” she said. Back in front of the Central Library, the line dwindled. Despite planning enough matcha for a four-hour event, Koicha ran out within an hour and a half. Some people tried to get their matcha, but there was none left. Around the stand, students sipped their lattes, swapped with friends and took photos of the drinks, blending centuries of ritual traditions with the vibrant rhythm of campus life. Some would say it’s a match-a made in heaven. @DangHLe news-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu

From an open mic to concerts, Dallas-Fort Worth residents have several events to choose from this week. Entertainment Put your talents on display at a free Open Mic Night at 7:30 p.m. Friday in the Performance Hall at The Arlington Common. Music Catch country artists Jake Bush and Jade Marie Patek for a free concert from 7:30 to 10 p.m. Friday at Levitt Pavilion. Join The Wailers to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Bob Marley and the Wailers’ 1995 reggae album, “Natural Mystic: The Legend Lives On,” at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Arlington Music Hall. Tickets start at around $42, and doors open at 5:30 p.m. See Aminé, a rapper best known for his debut single “Caroline,” perform on his Tour de Dance with opener Lido at 8 p.m. Monday at the Southside Ballroom. Tickets start at around $49, and doors open at 7 p.m. Attend indie singer-songwriter Cuco’s concert at 8 p.m. Tuesday at The Bomb Factory. Tickets start at around $59, and doors open at 7 p.m. Sports Watch the Dallas Cowboys play the Green Bay Packers at 7:20 p.m. Sunday at AT&T Stadium. Tickets start at $63, and doors open at around 5:30 p.m. @taylormakynzee news-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu

Violent, boisterous and above all else thought-provoking, director Justin Tipping's genre-bending football horror film is undeniably strange. Yet, it works. “HIM,” released Friday and secured by the backing of producer Jordan Peele, pushes American football culture in an extreme fashion by tackling real-world issues from athlete exploitation to religious fanaticism with boldness that’s as unsettling as it is nauseating. Having grown up in a football-centric family, Cameron Cade, played by Tyriq Withers, looks to enter the professional scene, as he has always stood out on the field. Before Cade can shine at the combine, an unhinged fan attacks him, etching a row of stitches down the right side of his head that eerily resemble football laces. That’s when he meets his longtime idol, Isaiah White, played intensely by Marlon Wayans, an eight-time championship quarterback who wants to train Cade for a week. As White, Wayans is the MVP of “HIM,” playing a character embodying the film’s thesis on how white ownership can exploit and discard Black bodies. White’s obsession with football became a commentary on how a talented Black athlete can be brainwashed into sacrificing his entire self-being so white owners of the San Antonio Saviors — one of the many Christian references — can profit off the next rising superstar. The madness that leaks out of White as the movie goes on is almost sympathetic for Cade, hoping that maybe he is smart enough to realize, “it's not a game.” A lot happens at once in each scene, sometimes seeming heavy-handed on Tipping’s end. In the first 15-minute sequence, we see the early stages of Cade’s life and how everything he builds later in life is because of a promise made to his father. While it conveys the necessities, the opening feels disorganized and overly aggressive, more overwhelming than effective. The pacing feels uneven at times, with some of the themed seven days, a nod to the Bible’s creation story, being on screen much longer than others, and constant jumps in time don’t alleviate that issue. However, the climax brings everything into perspective. By personifying the toxic expectations in the industry, the film confronts the sobering reality that football has become a business first and the athletes mere products of the game. Picking up a pen to sign a contract becomes the finish line, and Cade eventually faces that decision. The violence is not graphic but executed with restraint, splashing dashes of blood and guts, such as when two Black athletes are pitted against one another or when Savior fanatics attack Cade to prevent the dethroning of a fan-favorite player. “HIM” doesn’t gore-ify the sport but effectively raises important questions about the effects of chronic traumatic encephalopathy and the physical toll football takes on the body. By its end, the film sheds its earlier restraint, delivering a cathartic finale that goes back to its thesis on corruption and exploitation within the industry and the brutal way an athlete may confront it. It also weaves in the sport’s historical context, such as the “Carlisle boys.” Comic relief comes in the form of Jim Jefferies as Marco, White’s dryly inappropriate doctor, whose deadpan humor fits snugly into the film’s darker moments. Though a work of fiction, “HIM” echoes a reality that feels possible — a notion deeply unsettling in itself. @kaleivie_ editor.shorthorn@uta.edu

From a musical tribute to comedy and baseball, Dallas-Fort Worth residents have several events to choose from this week. Entertainment Downtown Arlington Management Corp. is hosting its Canines and Coffee event from 8 to 10 a.m. Saturday at the Downtown Arlington Doggie Depot. Bring a pup and enjoy pop-up beverages from Inclusion Coffee. Enjoy a free afternoon of singing and dancing performances from 1:30 to 6 p.m. Saturday at Miss Persis Studio of Dance. The event will feature Dance Theatre of Arlington dance companies, winners of the Teen Talent Follies, the Prime Time Steppers and more. Catch a variety of comedians at the Noisemakers’ 21-plus variety show at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at Mic Drop Comedy Plano. The show is dynamic and features performances from improv to musical comedy. General admission is $20, and doors open at 6:30 p.m. Music Celebrate The Beatles with honorary band 1964 The Tribute’s live concert at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Arlington Music Hall. Tickets start around $33, and doors open at 5:30 p.m. Sports Watch the Texas Rangers play the Miami Marlins at 7:05 p.m. Friday at Globe Life Field. Tickets start at around $13, and doors open at 5:05 p.m. Grab a sweater and head to the rink as the Dallas Stars face the Minnesota Wild at 7:00 p.m. Tuesday at American Airlines Center. Tickets start at around $7. @taylormakynzee news-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu

From the start of Fright Fest at Six Flags to a Lil Wayne concert, Dallas-Fort Worth residents have plenty of events to attend this week. Sports Grab a seat to watch the Dallas Cowboys play against the New York Giants in their 2025 home opener at noon Sunday at AT&T Stadium. Tickets start at $75 and doors open at 10 a.m. Watch North Texas Soccer Club take on Sporting Kansas City II in a soccer match at 7:30 p.m. Sunday at Choctaw Stadium, with doors opening at 6:30 p.m. Tickets for general seating start at $24 and are available for purchase online. Entertainment The thrilling Fright Fest will be returning to Six Flags Over Texas starting Friday. It will recur weekly on Sunday, Friday and Saturday until Nov. 2. There will be haunted mazes, live shows and more. Tickets start at $30 to gain access to the haunted mazes, which does not include park admission, and cost $69 for access to both. Enjoy the Pulitzer Prize-winning comedy “You Can’t Take It With You,” beginning its run at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Theatre Arlington. Tickets start at around $40 for adults. There is a $5 student discount on tickets, and if a student comes with a student ID 15 minutes before the play begins, they can purchase any remaining seats for $5. Music Experience PopCycles Pedals and Beats, an open-air bicycle and outdoor festival from noon to 5 p.m. Sunday at 300 E. Division St. There will be live music provided by Truth Vinyl, and the event is open to anyone in the community and riders of all skill levels. There will be art, vendors and food for attendees to enjoy alongside the music. Lil Wayne is on tour to celebrate 20-plus years of his “Carter” album series and will be performing at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Dos Equis Pavilion in Dallas. Admission to the concert starts at around $40, and doors open at 6:30 p.m. @hud4qureshi news-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu

As the sun set and the air cooled in Arlington, Jose “G-Bear” Gomez Jr. pedaled his glossy black cruiser along the city’s streets. Gomez and more than 60 cyclists motored through the UTA campus, and around the downtown area to the Entertainment District once a week — in a good-natured pack of whirling wheels. Zoom. “You get to see a lot of things that you never saw while you’re in the car,” said Gomez, a 43-year-old Dallas resident working in sales. Gomez is a member of the DFW BMX Cruisers group, established in 2018 to bike across the Dallas-Fort Worth area. The group meets in Arlington on most Wednesdays. For many cyclists, riding with DFW BMX Cruisers provides mental and physical exercise along with a sense of community. Members from all walks of life say they’re looking out for each other — during and after the rides. Many are small business owners who trade services through the group, from plumbers and technicians to car dealers. “You can see anybody on our page, they’re all saying BMX family,” Midlothian resident Peter James said. “We all try to help each other out.” Grand Prairie resident Kriss Parra nodded, chiming in. “Someone gets a flat tire on the ride, everybody stops and helps out,” Parra said. At around 8 p.m. on a recent Wednesday, the group met at the Fuzzy’s Taco Shop on East Abram Street where members readied themselves for the ride. For Dallas resident Joana Cornejo, the rides relieve stress from her job in the food industry. “I take it as therapy,” Cornejo said. “It helps me out to destress from everything going on in the world or at home and just go out and have a good time with all the guys, all the girls that come. Now it’s more of us girls, which is fun.” Calves tightened, helmets were balanced, wheels inched forward. Then they were off. Whoosh. On campus, a tide of riders poured across the University Center’s wide pavement. Neon bike rims flickered, casting a party glow as bass-heavy EDM music pulsed through portable speakers. Some performed wheelies, leaning back with a bent leg and balancing on the rear wheel. They made a steep ascent around UTA before heading out to the bright lights of Arlington. A 7-Eleven came into sight. Skrrrt. Members rested, grabbed a drink at the store and caught up with one another. Then they pedaled around the Globe Life Field area before circling back to Fuzzy’s — sometimes reaching about 10 miles per hour. On average, the group rides at least 10 to 12 miles every time they meet. Members keep the same route for peace of mind, Gomez said. Despite the familiar path, they are still learning new things. “We discover a lot of restaurants and a lot of new places,” Gomez said. Then they get back to their daily lives. “Ultimately, you know, that’s what we all have to do, get back to our everyday,” said Arlington resident Eddie Pineda, who leads the Wednesday rides. “But this is our escape from everyday.” @DangHLe news-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu

Margaret Monostory Crowley leaned back in her chair and set the scene. The year was 1969, and the 4-year-old had just lost her blue stuffed elephant made by her grandmother at a party for her father’s new colleague in UTA’s foreign language department. She later spotted it in the arms of that colleague’s daughter, a little girl named Lolín Martins-Crane, who fell asleep clutching it. “I was ready to walk over there and shake her and say, ‘Yo, little new girl, give me my elephant back,” said Monostory Crowley, assistant professor of practice in theater arts and dance. Martins-Crane, director at the Career Development Center, laughed as she recalled that moment. “I loved it,” she said. “I wasn’t going to give it back.” For the next 56 years, they grew into each other’s worlds. They had sleepovers. They went to school together, sometimes spent holidays together and took vacations together. Then they stepped back for a time to grow on their own. Yet through every milestone — weddings, babies, or, more painfully, the deaths of their parents — they showed up for one another. No one else could fully understand. Except the other. “She's the only one that has my history memories from a sisterhood perspective. I have no one else. It was just her in those moments,” Martins-Crane said before bursting into tears. Their friendship has gone through multiple facets — in sickness and in health. Their childhood was filled with days exploring the creek behind Monostory Crowley’s house, riding bikes and inventing adventures. They also had to deal with Martins-Crane’s asthma, when Monostory Crowley was the only person allowed to come over and hang out with her friend. In college, Monostory Crowley discovered theater. Martins-Crane, who studied psychology, remembered a sudden feeling that she wasn’t sure she had ever shared aloud. “I was so jealous, because I had not found my tribe yet. I had not found my community,” she said. The pair still traded letters and phone calls, but they became “two siblings trying to find their own identity and falling apart from each other,” Martins-Crane said. Monostory Crowley said the separation didn’t matter. It didn’t make any difference whether they talked to each other once a week or once a year. They knew the relationship was always there. Looking back, Martins-Crane called that process necessary. “We weren't the team discovering together anymore. We were apart discovering,” she said. “I think it was healthy thing. I think it was a good thing. It's made us who we are obviously today, and I just think it's the beauty of the separation.” Soon after, she found her own community at the Dry Gulch — the campus bar once tucked in the University Center basement where The Shorthorn's offices now stand — where her future husband, alumnus Martin Crane, was DJing. Somewhere between Martins-Crane meeting Crane and marrying him, she and Monostory Crowley went through one of their first tough tests. ‘I always felt like I didn't do enough’ Martins-Crane felt “schizophrenic” when her mother died in 1990, she said. One minute, she was crying. The next, she was planning table tents for her wedding the following year. Monostory Crowley also remembered that period for a different reason. “I always felt like I didn't do enough,” she said. At that moment, she was juggling graduate school and living in Austin. “I didn't feel like I was keeping this ball in the air, you know, while I was trying to keep all the other ones in the air,” she said. “I love you,” Martins-Crane responded back, almost immediately. In the years following, Monostory Crowley lost her father in 2003, and Martins-Crane lost hers in 2007. A decade later, in 2017, Monostory Crowley’s mother died. Each loss felt doubled. They mourned their own parent while watching the other grieve. When they were physically there for each other, one would sit at the hospital to give the other a break. And when distance kept them apart, they leaned on many five-hour calls. “I feel like I lost a second set of parents, you know, with yours,” Martins-Crane said. Crane said that with each loss, his wife and Monostory Crowley leaned on each other. Their different personalities made for a deep friendship. “It’s just a long-term friendship,” he said. “So few people get to keep friends that they had when they were 5 years, 6 years old.” ‘She loves me no matter what happens’ Their bonds have grown deeper in recent years. After 25 years of trying, in 2018, Monostory Crowley joined Martins-Crane in working at UTA, their alma mater. She chased the opportunity for decades and credited Martins-Crane for her getting the position. It was Martins-Crane who approached the chairman of the theater arts and dance department, asking him to consider her friend. Even then, Martins-Crane was the one more anxious about the interview. She had a long list of questions when Monostory Crowley called her after: What happened? What did her friend answer? Was she comfortable? Did she have good examples? Is there something Martins-Crane herself could do? Her friend was more brief in her reply, “I think they’re going to hire me.” Kim LaFontaine, retired theater arts and dance professor and chair emeritus, said in a text that Monostory Crowley was a great hire for the department because of her expertise in costume design and set construction. “Kudos to all the people who convinced her to take the position as the department was in desperate need of her talent at the time,” LaFontaine said. Pete Smith, professor of modern languages and UTA’s chief analytics and data officer, said the pair’s friendship reflects the legacy of their fathers, who were once his colleagues. “It's the perfect example of tradition, right?” Smith said. These days, they get together around every week or two, with many texts in between, Martins-Crane said. The family traditions they grew up with continue through their children. Both said they believe they would have been different people without the other — they’re now not just better friends but also better mothers. “I just know that she loves me no matter what happens,” Martins-Crane said. “I can share anything and every single thing with her. There's no judgment, there’s nothing. I feel so at home and so at ease, and it's such a comfort.” As the conversation stretched past an hour, they sat across from one another, eyes brimming as they went through past, present and future. More than once, they finished each other’s sentences. “I have so many things,” Martins-Crane responded when asked about what else they appreciated about the other. “How much longer do you want?” Monostory Crowley asked. Monostory Crowley still keeps the original blue elephant at her bedside. Martins-Crane’s red twin, also stitched by her friend’s grandmother, went to her daughter. Martins-Crane gave a loving look toward her best friend of 56 years, their eyes red from crying. “She’s my elephant in my life,” Martins-Crane said. @DangHLe news-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu

Behind the curtains at College Park Center during the 2025 MavsMeet Kickoff, the furry character that represents UTA’s Maverick identity couldn’t help but break out into a spontaneous dance, hyping himself up before stepping into the spotlight. The bass of the music thumps through the floor as he waits, a burst of energy waiting to erupt. Then — he’s off. It’s all in a day’s work for Blaze, UTA’s mascot. But Blaze wasn’t always the face of UTA. UTA has had many mascots over the years, according to a UTA Magazine article, including the short-lived Grubbers from 1917-21, the Junior Aggies from 1923-49, the controversial Rebels from 1951-71, Sam Maverick and finally, Blaze. Blaze, the energetic white horse with a bold blue mohawk, galloped onto the scene in 2007, born from a student vote to reimagine the university’s logo and mascot, according to previous Shorthorn reporting. The horse can be spotted at various outings throughout the school year, such as basketball and volleyball games, and at campus and community events. Each event during the first week of classes revealed a different layer of the mascot's personality. A handler said Blaze represents the inclusivity and diversity at the university. “I think everybody can relate to him in variety of ways regardless on what major you are,” the handler said. He can flip tires, drift go-karts and act out skits with different organizations. “Blaze isn’t afraid to try new things,” the handler said. Not every moment is loud and over-the-top. At this year's Rec Fest, Blaze calmly approached a student and her service dog, crouching down after taking a photo to give the dog a quick pet. He also has less graceful moments. At another event, psychology sophomore Aerial McCaskill said she saw the horse fall down a few stairs while dancing. “Everyone loved it, though,” McCaskill said. “Everyone was laughing with him, tried to help him up. It wasn’t very many stairs, he was okay.” Wondering what the mascot does when he’s out of the public eye, some students have developed their own theories about Blaze, like what classes he would take if he attended college. Public health junior Vanessa Solis, a member of the UTA Wranglers spirit group, said she thinks Blaze would major in kinesiology or sports management. “He’s around the sports all the time. He’s always there,” she said. “So maybe he has an interest in it.” Blaze's impact goes beyond entertainment. When Blaze isn’t there, Solis said it’s noticed. “When people think of UTA, they automatically think of Blaze,” she said. “So when Blaze comes out, there’s a lot more energy than when Blaze isn’t there.” Architecture senior Benjamin Bernardino said he feels a sense of pride knowing Blaze is UTA’s mascot. “He’s the embodiment of school spirit. He represents who we are, us Mavericks,” he said. “They don’t call us Mavericks for no reason.” And maybe that’s why, at the end of the MavsMeet Kickoff, when students had begun filling out, Blaze was still under the lights dancing. Because for this Maverick, the show never truly ends. @tay._.sansom news-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu

From painting to musicals, Dallas-Fort Worth residents have several events to choose from this week. Entertainment Painting with a Twist’s Arlington location is hosting a painting experience Friday from 4 to 6 p.m. The 16-plus event is designed for relaxed socialization. Tickets range from $37 to $48. Participants are encouraged to arrive 15-20 minutes early to set up. Catch comedian Kam Patterson during his improv shows Friday through Sunday at Arlington Improv. The shows are 18-plus and will run at various times. Tickets start around $38. See the Tony Award-winning musical “The Wiz” at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Music Hall at Fair Park in Dallas. Tickets start around $58. Music Rock out attending a Freddie Mercury 79th birthday show with Queen Legacy at 8 p.m. Friday at Legacy Hall in Plano, Texas. The Texas-based tribute band delivers the vocal power and energy of Freddie Mercury and the original Queen, taking audiences back to the ’70s. Tickets start around $15 and doors open at 6 p.m. Celebrate Depeche Mode with a free Strangelove tribute at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Levitt Pavilion Arlington. Opening is local alternative rock/pop band Almost Jaded. The venue encourages guests to bring blankets or lawn chairs for open seating. Sports The Texas Rangers are playing the Milwaukee Brewers at 7:05 p.m. Monday at Globe Life Field. Tickets start at around $14 and doors open at 5:05 p.m. @taylormakynzee news-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu

The recorded message from 2005 still lingers in Keri DeCay’s mind. DeCay, assistant director at the Follett Student Leadership Center, was 10 when she heard it. Growing up in New Orleans, most hurricanes to her family were like snow days in Texas. Rain would fall. Winds would blow. People would get a day off. This message, though, was from a city official warning residents to evacuate and that the city didn’t have enough body bags. “That was the only reason my mom evacuated me and my two grandmothers,” DeCay said. Twenty years later, Hurricane Katrina’s impact remains for Arlington residents and the UTA community. Some evacuated. Some witnessed the tragedy firsthand. Some worked to help those escaping. The day after DeCay evacuated, the Category 3 hurricane hit New Orleans on Aug. 29, 2005, killing more than 1,300 people and forcing over a million to leave their homes. Some never came back. It’s still one of the deadliest and costliest natural disasters in U.S. history. Anita Foster, alumna and former North Texas regional chief communications officer at American Red Cross, said that emergency responders planned for the worst-case scenario with Katrina. Still, nothing could have really prepared them. “Even with all of the training, with the exercises, with the thought around it, by literally thinking about the worst things that could happen and planning for those, still couldn't have predicted what actually happened with Katrina,” Foster said. When Katrina hit New Orleans, wind was not the main impact. It was flooding. Much of the city lies below sea level, and a series of levees and flood walls were breached by the storm surge. DeCay’s father, a law enforcement officer, was ordered to stay behind and couldn’t evacuate with the family, she said. After she and her family arrived at their aunt’s house in Arlington, they heard from him. The winds were blowing, but he said the sun was out and they could return soon. An hour later, he called again: A huge wave of water was rushing through their backyard. They stopped hearing from him. Michael Ainsworth, Shorthorn alumnus and former Dallas Morning News photojournalist, recalled that water was within miles of his hotel, and people couldn’t escape even if they had a car. As he came closer to areas below sea level, the flood had gotten 12 to 16 feet high. Some people went to their attics and cut holes in their roofs. Some weren’t as lucky. “A lot of people just can’t swim, just drown,” Ainsworth said. In Arlington, while waiting to hear from her father, DeCay and her family watched news coverage of the hurricane — people stranded on rooftops, families locating their loved ones and familiar places submerged in the water. She realized everything was going to be far from normal for a long time. For 30 straight hours after the hurricane hit, buses poured into Dallas-Fort Worth packed with people unbathed, missing medication, sick and separated from loved ones, Foster said. Nearly 29,000 people came under Red Cross care in the area. The community rushed to fill the gaps as people came to the area. Local hotels donated bedding, CVS and Walgreens set up makeshift pharmacies, school buses took children to class and the post office opened temporary post office stations. Tillie Burgin, Mission Arlington executive director, said food and clothing were coming into her shelter at 2 a.m., with people working to sort through everything. “You just looked and the city was alive,” Burgin said. “Lights on everywhere, with people working trying to sort the soap, and the food, and the toiletries, and the clothes, and the diapers, and getting things that were coming in so fast from everywhere.” A few days after the storm, Ainsworth watched fire and rescue team members from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, disregard an order to not enter a nursing home. They carried out an older woman and brought her to a medical tent. She died within about an hour — but not before bidding farewell to her family. “These firefighters gave this woman and her family some closure,” Ainsworth said. For about five days, DeCay’s family heard nothing from her father. At her age, she didn’t expect him to survive — and even asked her mother if she would get a new father. One day, her mother told her to go play with her cousin outside. Then the call finally came. Some residents evacuated early, but for many it was too late. Thousands crowded into the Superdome waiting for buses to Houston. When Ainsworth arrived Sept. 1, 2005, floodwater reached his waist. In the parking lot, he saw desperation — people defecating on themselves rather than leaving their place in line. Amid the crowd, Ainsworth photographed a woman clutching her children and her only possessions — a bag of potato chips and a can of juice. Her stare wasn’t in despair, he said, but in disbelief, likely contemplating, “Where’s my life going? What’s going to happen to us?” Brad Loper, former photojournalist for The Dallas Morning News, still remembers the sweltering heat from that day. He kept drinking water, having not eaten all day. He had been at the Memorial Medical Center for a handful of hours. In the parking garage, he spotted a can of refried beans with different plastic spoons stuck in it. “It's hard to feel sorry for yourself in a situation like that, knowing they were way worse off than you were, and so you kind of ignore those things at that point,” said Loper, now UTA's assistant professor of practice and Shorthorn alumnus. “You're just there to do the job. You got to make the best of it and understand that they've had a lot worse than you have.” In the call to DeCay’s family, her father said that he had been airlifted from the balcony on the second floor of their home as the situation turned bad in New Orleans, then hitchhiked to Houston to reach them. “You ever see the Superman movies and they walk in with all the [halo]?” she said. “That’s like literally what it was.” Six days after the storm, Tom Fox, Shorthorn alumnus and photojournalist for The Dallas Morning News, arrived at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, where a flight crew prepared older people for transport to Shreveport, Louisiana, or San Antonio. About eight people were strapped to cots in the darkness. “After they had put them on the plane, and it took off, I went back and I called my boss, and I just kind of lost it, I just kind of broke down,” he said. “Because this is not the U.S. It's very surreal.” Within a month of Katrina, Hurricane Rita hit east of the Texas and Louisiana border on Sept. 24, 2005. When Loper went back to cover Rita, the city hadn’t let people return, he said. Driving down Canal Street in downtown New Orleans, once crowded with people and tourists, he saw no street lights. No traffic. Almost nothing. Except for a little stand from the Salvation Army and the Red Cross. “It's a ghost town,” he said. DeCay was back in school within three weeks of evacuation, enrolling at Beckham Elementary near her aunt’s house. Her parents soon sold whatever they had in Louisiana and resettled in Arlington. Other relatives returned home. News outlets labeled people like DeCay’s family “refugees,” and classmates whispered and wondered why students who evacuated from Katrina were receiving more support. Once an only child in an affluent New Orleans neighborhood, DeCay’s material comforts were swept away by Katrina. Mission Arlington was the only reason she had Christmas that year. In 2007, Loper brought himself back to the Lower Ninth Ward and Chalmette, Louisiana, some of the most devastated areas from many years ago. “Seeing them still, to a large degree, in disarray was kind of disheartening. Some rebuilding, but there still are certain areas that haven't been able to really recover even 20 years later.” All that DeCay went through fueled her drive, she said. In high school, she was senior class president and a member of the debate team and student government. At UTA, she became a sorority president and homecoming queen and studied abroad twice. In her position at the leadership center, she often brings students from her programs to volunteer at Mission Arlington. “Everything was supposed to happen,” she said. “I was supposed to end up in Arlington.” Fox was in New Orleans in 2024 for a Texas Longhorns game. He went down to St. Louis Cathedral, taking pictures of the parade with people in town. It reminded him of his college days enjoying the vibrancy of the French Quarter in New Orleans. Nothing seemed to have happened, but Fox knew it did. “You can rebuild the structure and stuff, but I don't know if you can rebuild the community the same way,” he said. DeCay said she was grateful for her time with her father, who died in 2023. “I didn't know how it would feel for him to be gone,” she said. “I thought I knew at that point, because I really thought he was gone, but now that he is, it hits a little different.” This past spring break, DeCay returned to New Orleans with her students for a community service trip to rebuild the landscape at the very site where the levees broke 20 years ago. The area is now a park — a calm, natural space. It was a deeply emotional experience, she said. “That moment is even more important than just going back myself to hang out with family and stuff like that,” DeCay said. After more than two decades with the American Red Cross, Foster said she has learned how people become resilient through tragedies like Katrina. “As hard as things are on this day, at this time, in this disaster, most people will recover, they will find a path forward,” Foster said. “That doesn't mean they just get over it, but they find a way to rebuild their lives.” DeCay said she doesn’t truly connect to Arlington. She went to school here. She achieved many things here. But she just came for a day and stayed the rest of her life. In her office, DeCay’s shelf carries many souvenirs and achievements from throughout her life. At the top is a sign that reads “Canal” and a diploma holder from Louisiana State University, where she received her master’s degree and walked the stage in 2021. New Orleans is DeCay’s home. “I'm never going to say, ‘I’m not from there. It’s not a part of me,’ just because Katrina took that away from me,” she said. @DangHLe @tay._.sansom news-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu

From The Weeknd to the Texas Rangers, residents have plenty of events to attend in Dallas-Fort Worth this week. Sports Witness the Dallas Wings take on the Seattle Storm at 6:30 p.m. Friday at College Park Center. Tickets start at around $24. Catch the Texas Rangers bat it out with the Cleveland Guardians at 6:05 p.m. Saturday at Globe Life Field. The first 20,000 fans can get an Adrián Beltré replica statue. Tickets start at $27.85. Entertainment Watch “I’m Proud of You,” a play adapted from the book “I’m Proud of You: My Friendship with Fred Rogers” by Tim Madigan, at 2 p.m. Sunday at Theatre Arlington. The play showcases male friendship at its finest and most powerful. Tickets start at $38 for adults. Students can purchase tickets for $5 15 minutes before curtain with their current student ID. Experience the Quinceañera Expo from noon to 5 p.m. Sunday at Esports Stadium Arlington. Meet vendors, explore products and services, and enjoy a live fashion show featuring the latest quinceañera trends and styles. Tickets are $12. Quinceañeras and kids under five enter free. Enjoy the Bookish Bazaar from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday at Inclusion Coffee. Explore an array of vendors offering everything from rare finds to cozy reads while sipping a beverage. Music See The Weeknd: After Hours Til Dawn tour at 7 p.m. Wednesday at AT&T Stadium. The concert features Playboi Carti and special guest Mike Dean. Tickets start at about $57 and can be purchased online. @ATClements03 news-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu

By the time Laura Molinar arrives at PanPan Bakery and Cafe, she has been up almost all night researching how to adapt to the business’s skyrocketing attention. Molinar’s bakery on Roosevelt Drive in Dalworthington Gardens, Texas, about four miles from UTA, sees hundreds of customers line up around the building waiting for Mexican-Japanese fusion desserts such as milk bread conchas, salted butter rolls and horchata matcha — on a weekday. The success didn’t come overnight. PanPan Bakery and Cafe opened a year ago Sunday, but Molinar’s videos on social media documenting daily work and promoting products have propelled the business to new heights. A TikTok explaining PanPan’s decoration and products — also explaining that pan means bread in both Japanese and Spanish — has been viewed more than 17 million times since it was posted in early August. “I was already kind of settling into the flow of things, but now this explosion of new people has kind of resparked something in me for sure,” Molinar said. “A lot of inspiration.” To handle the newly found fame, bakers arrive at 3:30 a.m. to prepare about 800 loaves of bread for the morning sales. They don’t leave until around 11 a.m. “Our day is making bread, making bread and making bread,” said Andrew Wolgast, a barista and baker at the store. Molinar works at the bar or in the kitchen throughout the day depending on needs. She arrives early in the morning to check the prep work and whether the bakery will be set for the next day. “If people are coming from far away, people coming from Georgia, they're coming from Tennessee, they're coming from California, they're coming from Korea, and they deserve the utmost service,” Molinar said. PanPan provides customers waiting in line with water and umbrellas to combat the Texas summer heat. Molinar also greets customers throughout the day, she said. “They do take that valuable time out of their day, spend their hard-earned money to support my business directly. It only feels right that I go up to them directly and thank them for it,” she said. While the store typically closes at 3 p.m., Molinar serves customers who are in line by closing time. That means two extra hours of work. By the time UTA alumna Jaqueline Reca sits down and tastes the Mexican chorizo stuffed in Japanese milk bread, she has waited in line for more than an hour. She visited PanPan after seeing the place on social media. Reca takes a bite, nods and wiggles in enjoyment. “It’s worth the wait,” she said. Molinar credits the inspiration for Mexican-Japanese fusion to anime being a huge part of Mexican culture and to her background growing up in Los Angeles, where she learned to enjoy different cuisines. At PanPan, the matcha is sourced straight from Japan, Molinar said, and the coffee beans come from Mexico. As their beverages arrived, Fort Worth residents Sarahy Meza and Ashley Perez didn’t forget to snap photos before taking a sip. “Wait, that’s really good!” Perez said as she enjoyed a banana cream matcha. Meza dubbed Perez the “matcha queen” and said her friend convinced her to try matcha at different places. They waited at PanPan for over an hour but are happy that they live nearby. “We drive far, far for matcha, so knowing that this is close, we’re going to be here every day for real,” she said. Molinar enjoys seeing people wrapped around the block for her desserts, she said. Her plans for PanPan include extending its hours and growing beyond one location. But dreaming can wait. It’s time to open, and her second group of bakers has arrived. Her baristas arrived about an hour ago. She opens the door at 9 a.m. The line of patrons stretches around the block, and they’re ready for pan. @DangHLe news-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu

You’re reading From Scratch, a series deconstructing the food we eat (and the drinks we drink) to explore their history, their variety and the ways we consume them. Aguas frescas, or fresh waters, are more than just refreshing drinks in Mexican culture — they’re a taste of home. Each cup holds flavors as deep and layered as the traditions behind them, blending fruit, flowers, grains and more to make a drink full of culture. At Fresca Palapa, a kiosk nestled on the first and second floors of The Parks Mall at Arlington, founder and owner Máximo Cruz is on a mission to bottle nostalgia. For him, it’s about more than making a profit; it’s about sharing the feeling of culture, he said. “I am so proud about Mexico, and I want to bring little bit of the taste of Mexico,” Cruz said. “That's why I bring the aguas frescas into a different, nontraditional market.” In Mexico, aguas frescas can be found everywhere: lined up in big, clear plastic barrels and sold on the bustling sidewalks; poured at local mom-and-pop restaurants; and served in mercados, or markets, and taquerias. History These drinks are thought to have originated during the pre-Columbian 15th century, when the Aztec Empire ruled over much of what we now know as Mexico. The Aztecs would collect fruit and flowers, mash them and mix them with water to make hydrating drinks as they traveled along the waterways of Tenochtitlán, now Mexico City. With the help of the Spanish trade network established in the colonial era, various popular flavors found nowadays were brought to life. As aguas frescas evolved regionally, ingredient variation began to grow, with fruit used more frequently compared to grains and flowers. The clay pots that originally housed the drinks, keeping them a couple degrees cooler than room temperature, have been mostly replaced by the clear, plastic barrels we see today. Over time, aguas frescas have become common among Mexican households and have been a part of families’ everyday meals since. Variety The drink has evolved, with inventive new flavors such as pistachio and dragon fruit. Horchata and jamaica (hibiscus) have become cultural staples. The process of making aguas frescas depends on the flavor. Some start with steeped flowers, others with blended fruit or soaked grains. Cruz said he tries to give customers as much variety as possible. While it’s common to only see a couple of flavors in shops, Fresca Palapa always offers an array of 12 flavors, with seasonal additions such as horchata pumpkin spice in the fall. And for those who can’t settle on just one flavor, the shop also lets customers mix and match to their liking. It also offers reusable barrel-shaped cups as a nod to the containers used at mercados and taquerias. Agua de horchata in particular has made a name for itself outside of those vendors. Its sweet, slightly spiced flavor has even charmed big chains such as Starbucks and Dutch Bros, which have included the flavor in their menus’ horchata-inspired drinks. At Fresca Palapa, the story is the same. Horchata is one of the most popular flavors sold at the juice bar, Cruz said. What keeps customers coming back to Fresca Palapa isn’t just the wide variety – it’s the recipe behind each drink. Despite having to manufacture the drinks to keep up with customer demand, the shop uses original Mexican recipes for all of the flavors offered. Impact Almost half of Texas’ population is Hispanic or Latino, totalling approximately 11.4 million individuals according to 2020 data from the U.S. Census Bureau, making the culture prominent in the state. Part of that culture comes from food and drinks, or in this case, aguas frescas. The popularity of aguas frescas has allowed Fresca Palapa to grow from a small juice and smoothie bar at the mall to an establishment with at least 18 locations across Texas and Oklahoma City. The shop has given Cruz an opportunity to share Mexican culture with his customers. Cruz said he gets satisfaction from the success of his shop and that it makes him want to achieve more. “I want to be like the new Starbucks of aguas frescas,” Cruz said. @_.lexlie_ news-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu

Fort Worth resident Marie Beas drinks a daily Red Bull during the work week. Beas doesn’t crack open the silver and blue can. Instead, around midday, she and her co-workers opt for a literal bucket of the energy drink. The plastic vessels, typically used for plants or toys at the beach, are becoming to-go cups for iced coffees and beverages for those who have decided that a 16-ounce drink no longer suffices. The trend is drawing a crowd and racking up TikTok attention. Beas remembered the first time she heard about it. “A bucket of what? Where did you guys get this? I was like, ‘Oh, I want one,’” she said. Stores in Texas and nationwide are leaning into the oddity, serving iced coffees and beverages in buckets with handles and plastic straws. EspressoSelf Cafe, a coffee trailer at Tanger Outlets in Fort Worth, started offering its beverage in the 34-ounce bucket in June after seeing the trend go viral on TikTok. “Everyone kept saying, ‘We just love your coffee, and we want a bigger size for it,’” the shop’s barista Macie Crawford said. “And so as a joke, we did a bucket, and people just loved it.” EspressoSelf Cafe offers all of its beverages in the bucket. An iced latte, in particular, features six shots of espresso and costs $13. On weekends, they sell about 20 buckets a day. Fort Worth resident Ana Ramirez said her watermelon mint Red Bull bucket helps her stay energized during her retail job’s busy back-to-school season. Ramirez said she hasn’t tried a full vessel of coffee, but she may give it a chance in the fall if someone offers a pumpkin spice latte bucket. “That is the only coffee that I can foresee myself drinking to the end of the bucket because a bucket is a lot,” she said. “And so just normal coffee, or normal latte, I don't foresee myself finishing the bucket.” Crawford recalled a woman from Oklahoma who often comes to the trailer for the coffee buckets. “She drives that far just to come see us, so that makes us happy,” she said. Saginaw resident Michael Johnson, who described himself as a coffee enthusiast, said he goes through a bucket of salted caramel frappe or cold brew each day, a downsizing of his usual intake of two or three 24-oz cups. Johnson works in sales, so he relies on the beverage to help him be quick on his feet and alert, and “stay [as] upbeat as possible,” he said. A bucket lasts him anywhere from 30 minutes to three hours. Oftentimes, he made an exception for a second bucket. “Sometimes I stay up late playing games,” he said. “So one of them days where I'm coming off of three or four hours of sleep, a second bucket might be charged.” Stacie Ellis, registered dietitian and nutritionist at UTA’s Campus Recreation, said people can consume up to 400 milligrams of caffeine daily, which is equal to four eight-ounce cups of black coffee. But the amount of caffeine varies, depending on the type of coffee, how the beans were roasted or the type of energy drink. Ellis has been concerned about people’s gradual increase in coffee consumption over the years, she said. “There's a reason why they market fast food because if they didn't, people wouldn't come and eat it,” she said. “Because deep down they know they shouldn't eat it, but then they see all these pictures on the television and magazines and all of that. It really is powerful.” “And unless you decide that you're going to think for yourself, it's very easy to get swayed to do that.” For Beas, it’s not the marketing that draws her to the bucket, as she didn’t know about the TikTok trend. It’s also not because she really needs it to do her job. “It’s just a drink, to be honest,” Beas said. “I enjoy the flavor of a Red Bull, so I can drink it five days a week, even if I didn’t work.” Within three hours of purchasing, she had already drunk the whole Red Bull tub. @DangHLe news-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu

Whether Mavericks are filling time between classes, planning weekend outings or looking to explore beyond the classroom, Dallas-Fort Worth offers plenty of options. The areas around UTA provide a variety of student-friendly activities, from parks and theaters to indoor adventures and hidden local gems. Here are some affordable things to do nearby: Alley Cats, 2008 W. Pleasant Ridge Road From bowling to rock climbing, Alley Cats has many activities to enjoy. Prices vary by activity, with bowling costing $30 per hour on weekdays and arcade game cards starting at $5. The cards can be used for all activities except bowling. Coyote Drive-In, 223 NE Fourth St., Fort Worth Coyote Drive-In offers a movie night under the stars. Tickets start at $8 for children ages 5 to 12 and $11 for adults; children 4 and under get in free. Arlington Skatium, 5515 S. Cooper St. Residents can lace up and skate at one of the largest roller skating facilities in Texas. Admission is $14 during regular public skating hours, with half-price tickets available Wednesdays. Arlington Skatium hosts theme nights, parties and open skate sessions throughout the week. Bolder Adventure Park, 2324 W. Warrior Trail, Grand Prairie With over 66,000 square feet of indoor adventure, including archery, a jump pad, tubing slides and a free fall experience, Bolder Adventure Park at EpicCentral offers many activities. Full day tickets start at $10 per person. International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame, 621 Six Flags Drive The International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame provides the history of some of the greatest bowling legends and of the game itself, which dates back 5,000 years. Admission starts at $7.50 for children 4 to 18 and $9.50 for adults. Top O’ Hill Terrace, 3001 W. Division St. Residents can go to Arlington Baptist University and tour Top O’ Hill, a former casino turned Baptist seminary. Once a hidden gambling hot spot disguised as a tea room, it was opposed by a gospel preacher who later helped transform it into a university. Tours are $10 per person by appointment. The Cozy Catfe, 740 SW Green Oaks Blvd. At The Cozy Catfe, residents can spend time with adoptable cats for $13 per person. Two membership levels are available at $40 and $60 a month. Both include complimentary beverages and unlimited visits. Cidercade, 500 E. Division St. Cidercade offers over 275 arcade games, from retro classics to modern hits and dance-offs. Patrons pay a onetime admission of $12, no coins or game cards required. The Parks Mall at Arlington, 3811 S. Cooper St. Residents can ice skate, explore a variety of shops and enjoy an IMAX movie experience at the AMC Theatres at The Parks Mall at Arlington. Crystal Canyon Natural Area, 1000 Brown Blvd. Crystal Canyon Natural Area is free to explore and features a diverse geological landscape, offering evidence of a onetime nearshore marine environment. Residents can enjoy hiking and biking trails surrounded by natural history in North Arlington. @tay._.sansom news-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu

From a Texas Rangers game to a Paul McCartney tribute, residents have plenty to choose from in Dallas-Fort Worth this week. Music Celebrate the music of Paul McCartney at “Live and Let Die: The Music of Paul McCartney,” a tribute concert at 8 p.m. Friday at Arlington Music Hall. Doors open at 6 p.m. and tickets start at $46.38. Entertainment Experience the rich cultural heritage of Latin America with the opening of Create Texas at Wellspring’s “Beyond Borders: Contemporary Visions of Latin America” from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday at Wellspring on Main. The contemporary art exhibit will be on display until Aug. 28. The exhibit includes works from 12 local artists and spans topics such as landscapes, iconic figures, current events and soccer’s cultural significance. Residents can take their furry friends to the Canines and Coffee event from 8 to 10 a.m. Saturday at the Downtown Arlington Doggie Depot for coffee, community and canine fun. The free event is designed for dog lovers and their pets to socialize and enjoy fresh air at the dog park. Meet Texan writers at the fourth annual Texas Author Con and Book Festival from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday at the Irving Convention Center at Las Colinas. The free event will feature authors from a variety of genres, including romance, fantasy, thriller and children’s books. Enjoy book signings, readings, panel discussions, Q&A sessions and more. Celebrate National Moth Week at the fourth annual Arlington Citizen Science Program’s Moth Night at 8:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Webb Community Park pavilion. Residents can observe and identify moths in their local habitat at the viewing stations along the trails and learn about their role as pollinators in North Texas. Sports See the Texas Rangers and the Detroit Tigers bat it out at 6:10 p.m. Sunday at Globe Life Field. Tickets start at around $18, and the doors open at 4:10 p.m. news-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu