Vibe ATX by LASA Ezine

Vibe ATX

Spring Ezine 2021 Vibe ATX | 1

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Table of Contents 6

Letter from the Editors

A Foodie's Day in Austin by Rahi Deo

A Restaurant's Pandemic Predicament by Rahi Deo

Music Legends of Austin

by Eamonn Keane

The Show Must Go On by Eamonn Keane

Austin Mural Hunt by Emily Polio

Preserving HOPE by Emily Polio

Daily Life of Bats by Zachary Richeson

Sink or Swim by Zachary Richeson

ATX on a Page

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Meet the Editors Get to know our magazine’s very own editors!

Rahi Deo Howdy, my name is Rahi Deo and I’m a 15 year-old freshman! Most-likely, you can find me organizing, reorganizing, and re-reorganizing EVERYTHING in sight. My favorite things about Austin are the outdoor activities and the local restaurants (particularly because of my love of food). I really hope you can see my love of food and Austin in our magazine.

Eamonn Keane Hey there! My name’s Eamonn (pronounced ay-min) and I’m a 15 year old freshman at LASA. I like to spend my free time playing games with my friends online or chilling at the park behind my house. While I don’t have any siblings, I do have a cat named Querida. I love Austin’s vibrant and eccentric culture, and I hope you’re able to experience it through our magazine!

Emily Polio Hiya, my name’s Emily Polio, 15 year old freshman extraordinaire! You can usually find me jamming out in the choir room, or doing arts and crafts in the library. I have two dogs, Sofie and Lucy. My favorite thing to do in Austin is to go downtown and take photos of all the beautiful areas, from Lady Bird Lake, to SoCo, Austin has tons of amazing places to explore!

Zachary Richeson Hello, My name is Zachary Richeson. I’m a 15 year old freshman at LASA. Currently, I spend my time drowning in homework and Algebra study material. I like to play video games and hike in Pearl Texas. I have four dogs named Winston, Tipper, Deago, and Suzy. My favorite thing about Austin is its abundance of outdoor activities.

Kat Duende Hey y’all! I’m Kat Duende, currently 15 and a freshman at LASA. I like to spend my days pretending to be an academic, wether I’m playing Chopin on the pinao or reading Machiavelli by candle light. When the weekends roll around, you’ll often find me lounging at Zilker park with my friends, lunch, and a large jug of water. I hope you enjoy our magazine.

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A Foodie’s Day

in Austin

What to eat, Where to eat, and When to eat By Rahi Deo

Photo courtesy of Eater Austin

Summer Moon Coffee Photo courtesy of the Kerbey Lane Cafe twitter

Kerbey Lane Cafe

No one is truly awake untill they have their coffee. Summer Moon Coffee roasts their own coffee for you to buy at their store or to brew yourself.

Kerbey Lane Cafe boasts a large breakfast menu with everything you need to fuel you for the day, or at least until lunch. You can enjoy their pancakes, eggs, and even their seasonal items.

A Piece of Austin

Photo courtesy of HEB

Photo courtesy of Summer Moon Cafe Store

Photo courtesy of HEB

Some of these restaurants have products you can take home for your own “Piece of Austin”. Here we have pancake mix from Kerbey Lane Cafe, Cafe coffee from Summer Moon Cafe, Cafe and a pint of ice-cream from Lick Honest Ice Creams. Creams

$ cheap Price Key: $$ affordable $$$ expensive

Photo courtesy of Happy Cow

Koriente

Koriente is a Korean and Japanese fusion restraunt that is the perfect lunch option. This downtown restraunt has healthy, fresh, and delicious dishes,

$$$

Photo courtesy of Nation’s Restraunt News

Via 313

What’s better dish for dinner than pizza? This local pizzeria has so many options to sink your teeth into, wether it be crispy bar-style or cheesy detroit-style. Photo courtesy of Zagat

Lick Honest Ice Creams

Lick Honest Ice Creams has the perfect dessert options after lunch. Their artisinal ice- creams come in a variety of flavours, from normal to not-so normal.

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Ashraf Khan (left) and Nimra Khan (right) stand in the foyer of their restaurant wearing masks. Due to the pandemic, all employees are expected to wear masks in the restaurant.

Photo taken by Rahi Deo

A Restaurant’s Pandemic Predicament How these local restaurant owners are facing problems during the pandemic By Rahi Deo

he transition from a time of normalcy to a time of loneliness during this pandemic was brutal and accelerated. We were afraid for our loved ones, and we were afraid for ourselves. While we were all trapped inside of our homes, local businesses had to make decisions on how to keep the same standards of service, all while adjusting during this pandemic. Especially restaurants. Since March 2020, local restaurant owners in Austin have been adjusting their services to continue to provide food for their customers. The owners of Biryani-N-Grill, a local, family-run indian restaurant, have also been coping and working through the pandemic. Yet they still strive to provide service

safely and hygienically. Nimra Khan is one of the co-owners of Biryani-NGrill. She has overseen the day to day operations of the restaurant since 2018, and said that their main area of revenue, catering has reduced drastically since the beginning of the lockdown. “The business is very down,” Nimra said. “It depends on the catering. Big parties’ catering and to-go, like regular order cards are also cut down. So 50% of our business is gone, and left over is 50%. There is only 25% for sitting and come in dining, which is completely gone. So, only a to-go business.” Ashraf Khan is the other coowner of Biryani-N-Grill. He

has been overseeing the big-picture operations of the restaurant since 2018, and said that though online delivery is their only options, they still face challenges with it. “[A big challenge is] dining — it’s totally shutdown.,” Ashraf said. “It was difficult because people were not willing to drive their cars [to the restaurant]. Online business [has] also been really bad. We have to pay 30% commission on the online business. If we have close to 50% profit on a single order, we are losing another 30% on top of it so we are only making that 20%.” Nimra said that the 30% commission that food delivery companies charge them can be Vibe ATX | 11

more problematic for their business than helpful. “They are not helping [us], it’s a business for them.” Nimra said. “If the item is $10, the customer pays $10, but they keep 30% [and] they only give us $7. The online aspect [makes it useful], but they are not just helping, they also have a business [of their own]. Whenever customers do go to the restaurant inperson, they are greeted by the Biriyani-N-Grill staff practicing safety protocols. “Whenever the customers in the restaurant come in to pick up the food, we wear the masks completely, we wear the gloves completely, [and we social distance].” Nimra said. The number of in-person diners at the restaurant is very limited now, but Ashraf said they are trying out ways to bring in more diners. “We are doing advertisements on Facebook [to inform] the customers that dining is safe and to social distance.” Ashraf said. “[Now] it’s slowly coming in.” The business has also recognized that social media has been very effective during the pandemic. Especially to convey information to their customers effectively.

“It’s easy to convey messages faster with social media,” Nimra said. “With our Facebook page people are easily conveyed with the social media these days because of the pandemic. While the business is planning and working very hard to keep afloat, Ashraf still has doubts over what is going to happen in the future. “It seems to me after [the pandemic is] finished, it’s going to be another couple of years by the time it’s normal again.” Ashraf said. “I don’t know how I’m going to survive as a business owner. I do not have any plan right now.”

“It seems to me after [the pandemic is] finished, it’s going to be another couple of years by the time it’s normal again. I don’t know how I’m going to survive as a business owner.” Due to the potential risk of getting COVID-19 and the lack of business to keep

every single employee, the owners’ relationship with their employees is being tested “[Our employees] are very happy and we are very friendly with our staff.” Nimra said. “ We cut down their hours a little bit because it’s not busy and some employees quit the job by choice. We have a very, very good relationship.” “Business was really bad for almost eight weeks.” Ashraf said. “We had to let go [of] 80% of our staff and that’s pretty sad, They were pretty upset but I do not have any choice as a business owner because how am I going to feed them and how am I going to feed myself with this pandemic.” For most restaurant owners and employees, the most important thing is the social interactions with their customers. It’s not any different for the owners of Biriyani-N-Grill. The owners and employees still miss the social aspect from before lockdown. “People were coming, hanging out and gathering.” Nimra said. “[there were] almost two to three big parties [every weekend]. So the catering service is gone. I really miss the parties and [the] catering.” “I [miss] the customers.”

Ashraf said. “People used to come in the restaurant reading [and] speed eating, [but now] the social aspect is missing.”

Photo taken by Rahi Deo Nimra Khan answers a phone call order from a customer. With limited dining availibility, Biriyani-N-Grill is allowing orders to be made via phone or by a food delivery surface

Nimra also said she misses how people used to come into the restaurant and get a drink of water from the water cooler they had. The phrase “We’re all in this together” has also become a reality as many small businesses are forming relationships to support one another. “I have a relationship with the [other] restaurants and they have been surviving just like us.” Ashraf said. “Everybody cut down their employees, all the owners that I know are all working and their the families are working to just to stay in business. Otherwise we’re all going to be out of business.” Despite all of the challenges hat they have faced, the owners of Biriyani-N-Grill are trying to bounce back from quarantine as cases reduce and safety mandates are lifted. But, they still face challenges.

Photo taken by Rahi Deo Nimra Khan stands in the entrance and pick-up area of the restaurant. The restaurant mostly relies on take-out due to the pandemic so, they have an area reserved for pick-ups

“My goal for the business is to grow more.” Ashraf said. “I want to hire as many people of course, whoever lost their job, I will try to recover them also. Help them out, and help their families.

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Music Legends o Famous acts from the Live Music Capital of the World By Eamonn Keane

Willie Nelson Born 1933 Years active: 1956-present Genre: Country Originally from Abbott, Texas, Nelson retired from his music career and moved to Austin in 1972. However, Austin’s vibrant music scene motivated him to return from retirement the following year, and he’s been one of the city’s most loved musicians since. Photo courtesy of Larry Philpot

Janis Joplin 1943-1970 Years active: 1962-1970 Genre: Rock Born in Port Arthur, Texas, Joplin moved to Austin to attend the University of Texas in 1962. She didn’t last long there, and left for San Francisco the following year. She later returned to Austin and began playing at small venues, where she was first discovered. Photo courtesy of Elliot Landy

Jerry Jeff Walker 1942-2020 Years active: 1967-2018 Genre: Country Walker started off his career in his home state of New York, but moved to Austin in the 1970s. He soon became a leading figure in the outlaw country music movement along with Willie Nelson and many others. Photo courtesy of Erika Goldring

of Austin Stevie Ray Vaughan 1954-1990

Nanci Griffith Born 1953

Years active: 1965-1990 Genre: Blues

Years active: 1978-2013 Genre: Folk Country

Originally from Dallas, Vaughan dropped out of high school and moved to Austin in 1972. A statue of him built after his death can be found on the shores of Austin’s Lady Bird Lake.

Born in Seguin, Texas, Griffith was raised in Austin, where she began her career. In 1985, she gained a boost in popularity after appearing on the television program Austin City Limits. That same year, she moved to Nashville, Tennessee, where she currently lives.

Photo courtesy of David Redfern

Photo courtesy of Philip Allport

Gary Clark Jr. Born 1984 Years active: 1996-present Genre: Blues Rock Clark was born and raised in Austin, and played small gigs in the city throughout his teens before meeting nightclub owner Clifford Antone. Antone helped him kickstart his career, and he soon began playing with Jimmie Vaughan and other musical icons. Photo courtesy of Alize Tran Vibe ATX | 15

The Show Go On Must

How the COVID-19 pandemic is redefining live music in Austin By Eamonn Keane

ights flash and the crowd goes wild as the band enters the stage and begins to play. This scene is familiar to anyone who’s ever attended a concert in the Live Music Capital of the World. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic seems to have made events like these all but

impossible to hold. But that hasn’t stopped everyone. Love and Lightstream was created by a group of music lovers for just this purpose—to provide an authentic live music experience to bored Austinites and struggling artists, all while staying safe from COVID-19. Since the beginning of the pandemic, the company has hosted a number of in-person live music events, using innovative methods such as a drivein concert model to keep their attendees socially distanced and safe. They’re also helping to empower Austin’s music community, not only by providing artists a chance to perform, but also by donating part of their proceeds to nonprofits in the area. Sarah Keilers is the creative director at Love and Lightstream. Before joining the team, she worked as a freelance graphic designer, and briefly dabbled in A woman waves her hand from just outside her car during a drive-in concert. Photo by Pearcey Proper.

promotion for live shows. She also releases and performs music herself under the mononym DOSSEY, and is a member of the band Indian & The Jones. “Originally, our founder Erik [Engh] had created the first Love and Lightstream event strictly as a fundraiser for an organization that benefitted an orphanage in Central Texas,” Keilers said. “It really didn’t start to take shape until South by Southwest of 2020 got cancelled… [Engh] assembled this amazing team of people that put together what ended up being a six day livestreamed festival of music.” The livestreamed event ended up raising over $200,000, all of which went directly to the musicians and crew, as well as the Austin-based music nonprofit Black Fret. After the event ended, the Love and Lightstream team wanted to do more to continue supporting Austin musicians, leading to the creation of their drive-in concert series. “[We] kind of had it in the back of our brains, so we wanted to do more events after that,” Keilers said. “A few months later, [Engh] started dreaming up the drive-in [concerts], and so we started working on Vibe ATX | 17

the drive-ins for the fall of last year. [It was] the same model except you could actually go, but…you had to go and park and stay in your own little spot.”

A man checks in attendees at one of Love and Lightstream’s drive-in concerts. Photo by Ismael Quintanilla III.

She added that the concerts revolved largely around mutual trust, with attendees expected to follow certain guidelines. “We try to be chill about things, but then also just have some expectations for people set clearly with safety guidelines and stuff that we put up,” Keilers said. “The expectation is, ‘hey, we love that we’re able to put on this event, but we can’t keep it going if you don’t abide by these rules,’ and generally, people have stuck to them.”

“It was different doing the marketing for [the drive-in concert series] because I had a lower marketing budget to work with,” Bolton said. “I had to be very, very frugal with the advertising that I chose to run. I couldn’t really afford to do paid radio schedules like I normally would.”

“The expectation is, ‘Hey, we love that we’re able to put on this event, but we can’t keep it going if you don’t abide by these rules,’ and generally, people have stuck to them.” Kimberly Bolton has worked in marketing for nearly 10 years, and became a freelancer shortly before the pandemic started. She did the marketing for Love and Lightstream’s drive-in concert series, and says it was a different experience than marketing for regular concerts or music festivals.

She added that social media can be a very effective marketing tool for events with lower budgets such as the ones Love and Lightstream puts on. “The great thing about [social media marketing] is that you can work with as little of a budget as you

want to,” Bolton said. “You can do a Facebook ad for only $50 if that’s all the money that you have, or you can do a Facebook ad for $5,000 if you want, so I was definitely still able to do that.” In addition to the drive-in concert series, Love and Lightstream has put on more traditional, but still socially distanced shows. Their “Lightstream Backyard Concert Series” began this April at the newly revamped Haute Spot Venue in Cedar Park, and the staff hopes to keep attendees at their tables for as much of the time as possible. “As far as the single events that are coming up at Haute Spot, the goal is to just keep people to their place at their tables,” Keliers said. “They’ll be able to order everything that they want—drinks, food, and maybe potentially even merch—just from their table,

and it will just be delivered to them. So basically, the whole objective is to eliminate the need for them to get up and mill around unless they have to go to the bathroom.” Keilers also mentioned how Haute Spot ensures that their bathrooms are safe for concert attendees to use. “For the Haute Spot shows, they have bathrooms that are outside, and then also ones that are inside,” Keilers said. “And they’re all sanitized regularly, there’s different air purifiers that are being used in [them] as well. And so generally, ‘just don’t line up’ is the expectation. We’ll see how it works.” Bolton believes that the COVID-19 pandemic will have a permanent impact on how live music works, specifically in terms of safety

“There’s really no guarantee that something like this isn’t going to happen again. I think there will always be that worry that we do need to protect ourselves, and try and be as virus-conscious as we can.” and sanitation. “I do think that there will be some lasting effects of the pandemic in the music industry,” Bolton said. “There’s really no guarantee that something like this isn’t going to happen again. I think there will always be that worry that we do need to protect ourselves, and try and be as virus-conscious as we can.” Keilers agreed that some of the ideas born during the pandemic about how live

music should work are here to stay. “I feel like [the pandemic] has forced a lot of people to rethink how we do this thing,” Keilers said. “I know that there are a lot of concert promoters and events industry people that are out of work, and businesses that have had to close their doors…[But] I feel like there’s probably an equal number, if not more, of creative people who are just trying to figure out a new way to do it.” According to Keilers, Love and Lightstream plans to continue producing shows once the pandemic is over, keeping Austin’s music community at the forefront of their brand.

Quiet Company plays a drive-in concert on August 29, 2020. They were one of nearly 50 bands who performed in Love and Lighstream’s Drive-In Series last year. Photo by Pearcey Proper.

“I think we’ll continue to exist very similarly to how we do [now],” Keilers said. “The difference with Love and Light is that at the very core of our brand this whole time, it’s been to give back and do good with what we do with our events. And so that will continue.” Vibe ATX | 19

Austin Mural Hunt Where to find Austin’s most Iconic Murals By Emily Polio

Photos and graphics by Emily Polio

Did You Know?

More than 80 murals grace Austin’s city limits, all important expressions of different communities in Austin. Some were painted by the most famous artists in the U.S, such as Shepard Fairey, designer of the iconic Obama poster.

1. Greetings From Austin|South 1st & Annie Street

Painted by Todd Sanders in 1998, this mural has been an iconic part of the city and popular with tourists. It includes iconic Austin imagery including UT tower, Congress Avenue bridge and Barton Springs. It is the staple Austin postcard.

2. Won’t You Be My Neighbor|1415 South Congress

Made by Artist Niz in 2014, this mural quickly gained traction due to its fun colors and nostalgic imagery. It includes’ Mr. Rogers’ image over an Austin express, and has made for a beloved photo spot.

3. I Love You So Much|South Congress & James

One of Austin’s most iconic murals. Located at SoCo, it’s a heartfelt love note from Amy Cook to her partner Liz (owner of Jo’s, the building where the mural is located), after a fight they had one night. It has resonated with tourists and locals alike and has become a big photo attraction.

4. The Beauty of Liberty & Equality|11th East Cesar Chavez In honor of the 100th anniversary of the women’s suffrage movement, this mural was painted on the side of the Line Hotel as a tribute to women’s rights. The largest mural in Austin, it includes iconic feminist imagery and bright vibrant colors.

5. Till Death Do Us Part|East 7th & Walter

Federico Archuleta’s art graces much of the city. With his bright colors and spanish influence, he made an instantly popular mural. It was so iconic that it was recreated to grace the downtown Mexic-Arte museum. With roses and skulls, it is a truly a Austin Spanish classic.

6. Hi, How Are You?|Guadalupe & 21st

Painted by musician Daniel Johnston while in Austin, the simple design instantly gained traction and has become a beautiful reminder to the city of the importance of street art as a form of expression.

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Preserving HOPE How Austin Plans to Preserve and Grow the HOPE Outdoor Gallery’s Legacy By Emily Polio

ou stand at the corner of Baylor and West 11th Street As you close your eyes, you remember a different time. Instead of a condo you see a place full of expression. You smell fresh paint, hear the chatter of crowds as people walk past, the clinking of spray cans. You watch as dozens of people, families, artists, and students, all work together, painting on the ruins of the land. You see the HOPE Outdoor Gallery. Then you open your eyes and, once again, see the condos. Somewhere in your mind, you can still hear the chatter.

At 1101 Baylor Street, there lay what many considered an abandoned 1980s condo development site. Andi Scull, however, saw a vision. In 2010 she established “The Foundation”, a temporary art exhibit meant to foster creativity and self expression for young artists in Austin. A place where anyone with a spray can could make a statement. It soon joined the HOPE Campaign, a nonprofit organization established in 2006, dedicated to fostering creativity and bringing awareness to important issues. Andi Scull soon became

the founder and creative director of the newly named, “HOPE Outdoor Gallery”. The quickly growing exhibit soon saw hundreds of visitors a day, along with dozens of ever changing murals and art pieces. Soon after however the Hope Outdoor Gallery(HOG) faced it’s final challenge as the time for the temporary exhibit ran out. The exhibit finally closed its doors on January 2, 2019. This wasn’t the end for this Austin institution however as SubVRsive, an innovation studio in Austin, had an idea on how to keep the

Overlook of the Hope Outdoor Gallery, courtesy of SubVRsive

gallery alive long after it’s demolition. This, along with the plans for the opening of the new HOPE Outdoor Gallery makes now the perfect time for the city to reminisce on the history and incredible success of this hub of Austin expression and creativity. Liz Whitington is the interim executive producer of the HOPE Campaign and has worked with the gallery for around the last 8 years. She says that the story of the gallery is really a story about community, and the passion that was shared by the many artists and organizers who worked on the project. “What was a temporary art installation turned into such a hub of creativity and artist community,” Whitington said. “The Outdoor Gallery is like a creative oasis, a safe space…whether you were at the top of your game artistically or if you were just beginning...there was space for all there.” This welcoming attitude led to the ability to allow many different people a place of expression

in Austin. As every artist worked with a passion to not only maintain the safe space and community of supportive artists at the gallery, but to also make their mark artistically and grow the program. “I learned a lot from all the artists and various communities there,” Whitington said. “Every artist is uniquely different and does their own thing.” Artists were not the only ones working hard to grow the HOG as many creative directors came together to not only upkeep the area and oversee the programs there, but to also grow the gallery and allow for even more people to participate. Scull was especially hard working when it came to maintaining the gallery, evident in their strong passion for the project and it’s flourishing. “There was a passion in her eyes and a sparkle, when she talked about the HOPE Outdoor Gallery. That was what first catapulted me into this community,” Whitington said.

Close up of the HOPE Gallery Sign, courtesy of the HOG website

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The Hope Outdoor Galleries sign at sunset, courtesy of Steven Ruud.

That passion ended up resonating with tourists and Austin locals alike as the gallery quickly grew and gained prominence. “It’s just amazing to see it flourish, and to see the love and the support that it has,’’ Whitington said. “I think it arises from the need for those kinds of spaces.”

struggled...It didn’t have restrooms or [trash cans] in the beginning” Whitington said. These concerns only became more prevalent as soon after the borrowed land was sold to condo developers and the gallery began to plan for a new future.

“We have a lot of love and respect for the landowner,” The rapid growth of the gallery Whitington said. “He was very came with a drawback generous to us while we were however. As the temporary there.” exhibit began to gain attention, problems arose, The Hope Campaign was and the gallery struggled to excited to begin planning for maintain its open nature. the opening of a new HOPE Outdoor gallery. One that “It became so popular could preserve the energy and then the infrastructure of the original, while allowing

Art from the original Hope Outdoor Gallery’s walls, courtesy of the HOG Website

space to grow the program. “We were able to get a space that we could grow into, to facilitate what we are seeing,” Whitington said, “In the short term, nobody wanted to see it, but in the long term, it will be so much better.” This new chapter has much to look forward to, as the Hope Campaign plans to expand the program greatly, and create even more opportunities for the public to participate in and express themselves at the gallery.

“It was like a chapter closing for a new one to begin.”, Whitington said. “We’ll have a space where there’s programmed walls. So there’s curated walls for the [more established] artists, as well as having a lot of room for the community to come and paint.” Whitington said.

“It’s kind of like the best of both worlds no matter where your skill level.” Even the COVID-19 pandemic hasn’t stopped the excitement as the gallery continues to plan it’s new rollout. “It may have slowed it a little bit, but it seems relatively with the project it’s been OK,” Whitington said. “We’re really excited to now be able to have the space where we can have masked and socially distant gatherings and bring the community back together.” Whitington, like many others, is excited to allow the park it’s comeback, as it begins planning to open the doors to its new building. Even with the excitement for the new gallery the city still felt the loss that came from the original HOGs demolishing. This wish for the ability to preserve

the original gallery led to a new plan to use ingenuity and creativity to hold onto this Austin institution.

“I think that [the gallery] was really unique, that’s why I brought my kids there. It’s why I’m excited to bring them back.” Whitington said Ryan Thomas is the cofounder of SubVRsive, an innovation studio located in Austin focused on exploring new technology and finding new ways to create content for its partners. His team came up with a way of making the park viewable even after it’s

The SubVRsive Augmented reality experience courtesy of the SubVRsive website

Overhead view of the Hope Outdoor Gallery courtesy of the HOG website

demolished, by using VR. “We were exploring photogrammetry capture, it was something that we were interested in as an alternative way to capture the real world for VR,” Thomas said.“We wanted to create something that we could showcase, and being an Austin based company, we wanted to find something that was meaningful [to] the city of Austin.” So, teaming up with the HOPE Campaign, SubVRsive pushed to make the preservation of the gallery a reality. Photogrammetry is the capture of overlapping images. A rather painstaking process that requires hundreds of photos of a subject, that will be stitched together and layered to build a 3D environment. Vibe ATX | 25

“We went in with four camera operators, and captured overlapping photos with every square inch of the park,” Thomas said. The team worked diligently to get the entirety of the park photographed. Using overhead photos for collecting the layout and 3D geometry, as well as ground photos to get textures and specific details as well as the many murals. “We had about 12,000 photos—I think about 9,000 from the ground, and the rest from the drone,” Thomas said. All these photos then get broken into sections and overlaid using software, to create a 3D mesh. 3D artists can then use this mesh to combine sections and recreate the park. “We had a supercomputer rendering for about a month just to put it all together, 24 hours a day,” Thomas said. “We were surprised to find out the amount of manual work that was needed to make it look really clean and high quality and to not have any errors or artifacts.” All the hard work that went into it was certainly appreciated by the community however. As

support for and interest in the project skyrocketed after news about it came out.

“It really did seem like the community was rallying behind the preservation of this iconic Austin landmark.” Thomas said. This support for the project carried over as many in the community were excited to experience the virtual gallery upon its release. “Just to see people’s reactions, when they get a chance to see a space that they can’t go step in, with it, is really, really cool,” Thomas said.“We put a lot of hard work into this project. And we wanted to make sure that the people of Austin got a chance to experience it”. SubVrsive has since tried to make the experience as accessible as possible by donating a VR headset to the Austin Public Library. They have also made multiple

ways to experience it, so that Austinites can visit the original HOPE Outdoor gallery regardless of if they own a VR headset or not. “We have made the application publicly available,” Thomas said. “Anybody that has a VRcapable computer and headset can download and utilize it. We have also created an augmented reality version of a small section of the experience” This preservation has not only been a favorite project of Thomas’; it has also been very personal for the city and members of the Austin arts community. “I think Austin has had a lot of really cool wins with the city growing, but it’s also brought a lot of losses.” Thomas said. “So for us to be able to preserve something that was not only near and dear to the city, but also to the arts community was exciting.” It’s been a while since the original project wrapped up but that doesn’t mean that the collaboration between SubVRsive and the HOPE Campaign is over just yet. “I know there’s plans for a new HOPE Outdoor Gallery somewhere else in Austin, and

I think the goal is for them to be able to have a VR installation at the new one, where you can actually put on a headset and see the original and use our experience.” Thomas said. The public seems excited to see the project flourish and grow as a result of the move along with the preservation of the original, as Thomas said, “A rising tide raises all ships”, and the growth and resilience of this little pocket of artistic freedom and creativity in Austin will only continue to inspire other artists around Austin and beyond.

programming, attend events, support your local artist,” Whitington said. The Gallery holds a special place in the city’s heart—as a little pop up art exhibit evolved into a huge collaborating project and collection of art pieces, where anyone with some paint and an idea can send a message.

And if you want to join in and support this iconic Austin landmark “When we open, come on out and support [the gallery]. Come paint, come grab a coffee, come attend

Design plan for the new hope gallery courtesy of the HOG Webpage & Chicos Design

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Daily Life of Bats When bats wake up they immediately go to their nearest water source and hover above. They then stick out their mouths and drink the water while still hovering. After taking a drink the first step of a bats day is to hunt for food. Bats can see with their eyes but most have poor vision so to hunt they use echolocation. Echolocation is when an animal lets out sound waves and visualizes their enviornment using what the waves hit. This allows the bats to see themselves and any prey in a 3D space allowing them to easily dodge and weave through obstacles around them. Bats tails make them more arodynamic allowing them to easily make sharp turns when chasing prey or escaping predators.

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At night bats lower their body temperatures to match their climate, this is called a torpid state. Doing this allows them to conserve energy as hotter temperatures speed up chemical reactions in the body. During winter bats must find a hidy hole of temperatures between zero and fifteen celcius to go into hibernation. during hibernation bats heart rates and breathing slow down and the bats go into torpor. Bats that live in tropical climates don’t need to go into torpor as there body is used to hotter temperatures. Bats build up fat during summer and autum and allowing them to go into a hibernation, but if they are woken up to often the bats won’t survive. Human activities often wake up bats so some people have created hibernation sites giving bats space from humans.

A bat’s daily routine in Austin: waking up, socializing, hunting and sleeping By Zachary Richeson

During summer bats will begin to mate. Bats will pair up and live together in daytime roosts until a female is pregnant. Once a female is pregnant they move into a maternity roost and will stay there for six to nine weeks before a child is born. bats only take care of one child per year dispite children only taking four to six weeks to fly on their own. Bats can live up to thirty years old. The Brazillian free-tailed bat has a very unusual mating ritual, it sings love songs. The songs are made up of four syllables which form three versus, chirps, trills, or buzzes. These syllables can be formed in many different ways and are used to attract females and ward off other male bats. Because female bats only have one child a year they are very fussy about a males songs.

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Bats are highly social creatures that hunt and even sleep together. During sunset bats will hang upsidown with thousands or even million of other bats so as to ward off predators and conserve heat. powerful feet lock into a ceiling to hang without any effort allowing the bats to easily drop down and fly during sunrise. Bats can sleep in any dark and cool location but most often prefer to stay under bridges, caves, and in buildings. Bats can willingly go into mini hibernations when food is scarce or on bad weather days. The bats that inhabit Austin are Mexican free-tailed bats which have 12-14 inch wingspans.

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Sink or Swim

A Deep Dive Into Austin Rowing Culture By Zachary Richeson

hroughout Austin, many people spend their lives glued to screens and games. However, when the coronavirus hit, millions of people were stuck inside for much too long and found themselves craving physical activity. Unfortunately, most sports require close proximity to random people which could be dangerous because of the virus. That is when they turned to rowing. When sculling, a rower’s motion is separated into three phases; catch, drive, and recovery. The catch starts with the rower’s oars back and horizontal. The rower then turns the oars vertically and slightly raises his hands catching the oars just under the water, starting the drive phase. After the oars have caught, the rower pushes with his legs and back to force the oars forward and propel the boat. After the rower’s drive, he moves over to the recovery phase. To start the rower turns the oars horizontally at the end of their drive and guides them out of the water. The rower then moves them back into a catch position while making sure the oars are directly parallel to the water. Even with the basic rowing motions above, the best way to get started in rowing is to join a rowing club like TRC(Texas Rowing Center) or ARC(Austin Rowing Club).

A typical racing quad.

These clubs can set you up for success by providing you with high-quality rowing equipment and coaches. The question is, what rowing club to join? Ben Schneeman, 16, has a year and a half of rowing experience at TRC and describes himself as an avid rower, “TRC is the biggest club in Austin and it provides the best equipment. Though, choosing a club is mostly up to personal preference” Schneeman said. “Anybody of any age can start rowing, but don’t let that fool you, the sport is not easy. Learning the proper form can be very difficult and requires lots of practice. However, when you do get the form down, rowing is a whole different sport” ” I personally had a lot of difficulties starting out because I was put in a group of rowers who were already half a year more experienced than I was. I think that was what originally pushed me to start rowing competitively, ” Schneeman said. In Austin, most clubs host competitions and have many competitive teams of different levels. TRC has three different levels of rowing, recreational, novice, and varsity. Recreational is for anybody of any age. All you have to do is to want to get out on the water and see the sights. Novice and Varsity, however, Vibe ATX | 31

Jean Marteilhe’s depiction of his life as a galley slave. Photo credited to Jean Marteilhe from his Memoirs of a Galley Slave of the Sun King.

are competitive, and to try out for varsity, you have to have a year of novice experience. Competitive rowing is mostly reserved for high school to college athletes. High school rowing is hosted in TRC and ARC while if you want to row competitively in college you have to join a boathouse for your school. Ben is at the novice level of TRC. Before you start to row competitively, it’s important to figure out how many people you prefer to row with. “I prefer doubles when rowing competitively because it pushes me to row harder that way I don’t ruin someone else’s row.” Schneeman said “If I’m rowing recreationally, I prefer a single, maybe one of the twenty-sevens we have on the dock. It’s a

manufactured racing shell designed for general use.” Competitive rowing is separated into events called regattas. Regattas are different from other competitive sports because in a regatta you don’t just race to beat others, you race to improve yourself. You can see exactly how well you and your team did as well as how much you have grown. After the race, you get to eat lots of great food that is put together by the other members of your club and cheer on the other teams. Rowing is an old sport. It started out as a means of transport in ancient Egypt and Rome. In fact, slaves in ancient Rome would often be chained to battleships and forced to row or be

dragged to a watery grave. It evolved into a sport in the early 18th century in England and was adopted by the rest of Europe and the Americas by the 19th century. Rowing has been present in every edition of the Olympic games. With women teams making their debut in 1976. Austin’s first rowing club, the ARC, was founded in 1899 to promote all aquatic sports. The TRC has only been active since 1987 but is still larger than ARC due to its superior funding. The most popular regatta in Austin, the Heart Of Gold, has been hosted annually on Lady Bird Lake by the Austin Rowing Club since 1983. Lady Bird Lake is the number one spot to row in Austin. It houses TRC, ARC,

Rowing Dock, and many more rowing clubs. People go there to enjoy many different aquatic activities such as rowing, kayaking, and water skiing. Many others go there to enjoy magnificent sights such as the view off of Pedestrian Bridge and the Congress Avenue Bridge bats. In recent years, rowing across the Atlantic ocean has become a major achievement amongst high-level rowers. This is an extreme sport given

the distance and logistics, and because finding a place to practice riding the overwhelming ocean waves is very difficult depending on your location. Ocean rowing is considered extremely difficult, dangerous, and in some routes, deadly. To combat the dangers rowers review pilot charts(weather data) weeks or even months ahead of their row to figure out what the prime location to set out is.

made to be self-righting like a bottle allowing them to overcome even the toughest of waves. Even with such a buoyant boat you still don’t have all the equipment you need for a proper trip. Anchors are important to bring so that in the case of an emergency storm you don’t capsize. Also, make sure to pack freeze-dried food that will last your whole journey.

Ocean rowing boats are

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