While individual skills and experience are important, college students or recent graduates may struggle to get a job without properly networking. Handshake, a job and internship platform available to UTA students, aims to help with just that. Adopted by the university in 2017, Handshake connects students with thousands of on-and-off campus employers, functioning as the central hub for all career-related job postings and events, said Nichole Thames, assistant director of Student Employment, in an email. In the beginning of the semester, students will be able to log onto the platform through single sign-on, their UTA NetID and password. Once logged in, they can create a profile, upload a resume, register for events, explore job opportunities and connect directly with employers. On the front page, Handshake categorizes jobs by major and includes tabs for events such as job fairs. A social media-like feature is also available, allowing users to connect with other students on the service. The job filter helps students curate opportunities that fit what they are looking for by pay, location, job type, hours, qualifications, work authorization, benefits, industry, employers and tags. Users can view job details and apply directly if they meet the requirements and required documentation. If not, they can upload missing documents or apply via an external site if needed. Users can also connect directly with the Career Development Center to schedule appointments and find additional resources. The tab groups internships in one place and categorizes them. “Handshake is one of the best tools available to students for finding jobs that align with their goals and schedules,” Thames said. “It gives them direct access to employers who want to hire college students and recent grads, which is something you won’t always find on general job boards.” More information on Handshake is available online. news-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu

Arlington residents are being invited to roll the dice on the city’s future from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday at the George W. Hawkes Downtown Library in the [re]Brary rooms. Growing a Better Arlington is a new interactive board game offering a playful yet meaningful way for locals to explore where and how Arlington could grow in the years ahead. John Chapman, Arlington’s long range planning manager, said the board game not only explains what a comprehensive plan is and why it matters, but also helps the city think through future scenarios it needs to prepare for. “It brings the community together to play something fun and interactive that will really help shape what the next evolution of Arlington will be,” Chapman said. The board game has two modes: a shortened version and the full game. In the full version, two to six players work to shape the next version of Arlington. Each player gets private funds, and there are shared public funds in the center of the board. Players then choose from live, work and play framework cards that represent how future Arlington residents might live. Once the game is set up, players take turns drawing prompt cards. “The prompt card may have a neutral effect, it may have a positive or negative effect to the gameplay,” Chapman said. “It could create a natural disaster that diverts public funds to assist with cleanup, and it could be something where Arlington is spotlighted for increased innovation and technology sectors that bring additional funds to the city.” Each turn, a player has the option to roll the dice to request a plan change, he said. As players develop more housing using dream coins or create more jobs, they must also invest in public amenities such as parks, libraries or health care. The goal of the game is to achieve the growth trajectory of 30,000 jobs and 15,000 housing units, which is based on existing data and growth patterns Arlington has been experiencing. Chapman said residents can complete a fillable form as the game concludes and are encouraged to take photos of their boards and the city manager's tally sheet. The maps will then be compiled to understand the general themes. MIG, a planning and design consulting firm, helped develop the game and has worked on similar projects across the country. Growing a Better Arlington was created with the assistance of City of Arlington staff. Chapman said he believes that this is the most intricate version that the firm has created. “I think this game will kind of help everyone wrap their minds around that concept that we’re big enough to host a variety of development types in order to ensure that everyone can live their American Dream,” he said. More information and updates about Growing a Better Arlington and the city’s comprehensive plan can be found here. @tay._.sansom news-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu

From classic rock and reggae rhythms to immersive tours and ballgames, residents have plenty to do in the Dallas-Fort Worth area this week. Music Sing along to classic hits as the Little River Band takes the stage at 8 p.m. Thursday at Arlington Music Hall. Doors open at 6 p.m., and the event is open to all ages. Tickets are sold out. Join Tejano Queen Forever with Quimikoz Del Son on Friday at Levitt Pavilion for a free outdoor concert. The event begins at 7:30 p.m. with Quimikoz Del Son, a DFW band blending reggae rhythms, hip-hop and horns. Tejano Queen Forever will follow at 8:30 p.m., honoring Selena Quintanilla Perez’s legacy. Join Demola the Violinist at 7 p.m. Saturday at House of Blues Dallas for live music and vibrant energy. Guests can also enjoy the upscale Foundation Room experience before or after the show. Ticket prices vary and can be found here. Catch Japanese pop-rock band SCANDAL on its Love, Spark, Joy! tour at 7 p.m. Wednesday in the Cambridge Room at House of Blues Dallas. Known for its high-energy performances, the band is bringing an electrifying night of music to the stage. Ticket prices vary and are available here. Sports Take a step back in time – and into the present – with a joint tour of Globe Life Field and Choctaw Stadium, the current and former homes of the Texas Rangers. The 90-to-120-minute experience begins at Globe Life Field at 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Friday and continues to Choctaw Stadium, home of the Rangers from 1994 to 2019. Ticket prices start at around $47 and can be found here. Cheer on the Texas Rangers as they take on the Baltimore Orioles at 7:05 p.m. Monday at Globe Life Field. Tickets start at around $14 and doors open at 5:05 p.m. @samip.parajuli.54 news-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu

The crystal chandelier flickered to life, illuminating a corner of 1851 Club, a gay bar Dalton Haynes purchased in 2021. Directly under the yellow light sits a wooden set of furniture near the club’s main door. To its left hangs a photo and plaque. They honor Haynes’ grandmother, Sherry Boling. "That spot where that chandelier is, right where that table is," Haynes, 34, said, "that's the last place that my grandma and I shared a hand of poker together." Boling is crucial to understanding who Haynes is and how he has worked to build the LGBTQ+ community through the city's only gay bar. His advocacy for safety and inclusivity, both in and out of the bar, has garnered praise from patrons and Arlington leaders, who credit Haynes for keeping 1851 Club's legacy alive. The club, he said, saved him as he pieced together his world in the days, weeks and months following his beloved grandmother's death. 1851 Club, located on West Division Street, is for everyone, LGBTQ+ and straight, Haynes said. Every week, the club offers comedy open mic nights, karaoke, bingo and pool tournaments. Steven Morris, executive producer of Theatre Arlington, called 1851 a “safe and friendly atmosphere.” Bar patron Haley Barron said the club and Haynes brought her smile back and helped her feel comfortable with herself. Even the city’s leader, a self-labeled 64-year-old white heterosexual Christian man, is a fan. After assuming office in 2021, Arlington Mayor Jim Ross created multiple advisory councils — including separate ones for the Black, Latino and LGBTQ+ communities — to better understand Arlington’s diverse populations. “It was great to have the 1851 Club open up to people and have some food and drinks and having different parts of the community socialize in there and realizing that while it does cater to the LGBTQ+ community, there are plenty of heterosexuals that go there just to have a good time,” Ross said, referring to 1851 hosting a gathering of advisory councils. Haynes has engaged with the LGBTQ+ Advisory Council since its establishment. “He brings a passion for not just helping the LGBTQ+ community in Arlington but the entire community of Arlington,” Ross said. It is easy to see the love Haynes has for his club, his staff — most of whom are his friends — his patrons and his community. It’s how Boling raised him. “I want to do this place the way she raised us: loving everybody and not caring about who you love and what color your skin is, what your faith is — any of that,” Haynes said. “She just loved everybody, and that's what I want to do.” It was a Friday. Haynes was 13 years old, watching Boling apply makeup for family poker night. He approached her. He had to tell her about his realization: Haynes preferred Barbie dolls over G.I. Joe. While the boys in his class were crazy about girls, he was attracted to guys. He recounted the conversation while using his vape to imitate Boling’s makeup blender. “Grandma, I gotta talk to you about something,” he said. “OK, well, what is it?” his grandmother responded. “Well,” Haynes said, “I'm gay.” “Are you not going to be here on Friday for poker?” she asked Haynes. His eyes went soft. “Grandma didn't care at all. She was always my biggest fan.” But he had another worry. Growing up, Haynes once struggled with his faith and his sexuality. Would he “go to hell” for being gay? He, again, turned to his grandmother. “God doesn't make trash, and he doesn't make things that he doesn't want. He made you just the way you are, and also he doesn’t make mistakes, so here you are in his image,” Boling said to her grandson. When people weaponize religion against the LGBTQ+ community, Haynes feels more sad than angry, he said, because religion is about bringing people to God. He doesn’t want to push his religion on someone, but he’s open to discussing it if people are curious. “Everything that he does is from the heart,” said Matthew Hanson, Haynes’ boyfriend of one year. “Whether it's in his personal life or in his business life, it's all about, ‘How is this going to affect the people around me, and how can I show them a Christ-like example?’” Shortly after Haynes’ first trip to the 1851 Club, Boling’s breast cancer diagnosis contributed to ending her ladies poker league that lasted for about 40 years. Haynes contacted the club’s management at the time to host a poker night for her, he said. The first week saw 10 people. Then 40. At some point, the club didn’t have enough poker tables. “I can't tell you how many times I would look up and I couldn't find her because she was outside holding somebody while they're crying about a breakup or in the bathroom talking with the girls about whatever,” Haynes said. On Dec. 15, 2020, Boling died. Haynes prayed for signs. Where should he go? What should he do? How should he rebuild? The sign arrived a few weeks later. It was early January 2021, smack-dab in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. Haynes was on Facebook when he came across a post from the previous management of 1851 Club announcing the bar’s closure. Haynes contacted his attorney and drafted up the paperwork. Within a few days, the bar was his. At 11 p.m. on a recent Friday, the drag performers weren’t ready yet. They blew past their showtime. Haynes took a deep breath. He had learned not to rush drag performers — or else. Instead, he hugged and shook the hands of most of the 100-plus attendees filling up the small dance floor and back patio. As the bar got busier, he jumped in behind the counter. Those who frequent the club said that it was a normal sight. “He's not just an owner,” said Nicholas James, the club’s top security. “He's a friend.” Hanson said Haynes has a mission of “five-minute friend,” which means all patrons should feel at home at the bar within that time frame. “The longer we've been together, and the more I see him in the element, the more respect I have for him because it's got to be tiring to do it over and over again, week in and week out,” he said. Haynes said that like many gay people, he partied with his friends on the weekends in his 20s, often thinking of ways he would improve the bars. But he had never owned a bar or worked in one before 1851 Club. After the bar’s reopening in February 2021, Haynes poured in 17-hour days, spending nights studying laws and fixing up decorations. Sometimes, it wasn’t feasible for Haynes to go home and sleep, so he slept in a military camping cot in the middle of the bar. Even now, he occasionally stops. And soaks it all in. “I take a step back and walk over to the bar, and I turn around and I see a full dance floor of people that are just having a great time, and I'm like, ‘We did this. This is so cool,’” Haynes said. Arlington has a perfect 100 score on the Human Rights Campaign’s Municipal Equality Index, which examines how cities tailor laws, policies and services to LGBTQ+ people. The city recently hosted its fourth annual Pride celebration, which attracted over 10,000 people. Haynes plays a key part in educating Arlington that the LGBTQ+ community is simply a part of the city, Ross said. “He talks to the people in the bar and gets information from them,” said Morris, who served on the LGBTQ+ Advisory Council with Haynes. “He tells them what the community is doing. He tries to be a go-between between the community and the advisory committee and gets information in front of the mayor.” The city has addressed safety concerns related to the 1851 Club and worked to ensure the LGBTQ+ community feels comfortable expressing themselves — one of Haynes’ primary objectives on the advisory council, Ross said. “I consider Dalton a friend,” he said. “He’s a great guy, loves his city, loves the entire community, loves the LGBTQ+ community.” His work doesn’t stop at the committee. Haynes helped ensure Arlington’s first two Pride events happened by providing the bartenders, alcohol and his own money, Morris said. These days, Haynes no longer works long hours every day, but his schedule is still packed. He maintains close ties with customers from his hair business, crafts jewelry and takes photos. Haynes admits that Hanson has to mostly work around his schedule. “Bless him,” Haynes exclaimed. Hanson doesn’t mind — he said he wants to be Haynes’ support system. “I think that's the job of a partner, is to recognize we have our own individual lives, but there's a part of a partnership that it bleeds over,” he said. It was 11:45 p.m., and drag queen Kiana Lee took the stage to welcome patrons and introduce those working at the bar — including Haynes. Drag queen Bronx Davenport then lip-synced Beyoncé’s verse in Jay-Z’s “Hollywood” to rowdy cheers from the crowd. “I'm proud to be able to give people a place,” Haynes said. “It's so important to me to give people a safe place to go, a place where people can go and get drunk and have a good time and then the next day be like, ‘Oh my God, was I a mess last night?’” “And you say, ‘Girl, we were at 18. It's not a big deal. They're fine. Nobody cared.’” As the spotlight moved around the room, it captured the photo and plaque that glowed in the warmth of the chandelier. In the frame, Haynes smiles next to Boling, whose name is etched in bronze below. @DangHLe news-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu