DT VOLUME 122, ISSUE 44 FRIDAY, JANUARY 28, 2022
CRITICALLY LOW Amid blood supply shortages, Texas Blood Brigade aims to increase blood donations on campus. sylvia asuncion-crabb
/ the daily texan staff
PERMANENT STAFF
Editor-in-Chief Sanika Nayak
Managing Editor Phoebe Hayes
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UT offers at-home testing kits for COVID-positive community members
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UT students express how they their identity through their favorite clothing items.
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Olympian Jordan Larson is ready for a new challenge as Texas volleyball’s newest assistant coach.
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Texas Blood Brigade attempts to increase awareness about donating blood.
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The University’s Proactive Community Testing program began offering at-home testing kits Monday for students, staff and faculty who are self-isolating after a positive COVID-19 test result. UT community members who test positive through a University Health Services or PCT testing center can request for an at-home testing kit to be mailed to their isolation address while supplies last through the MyUHS patient portal, PCT program director Jessica Klima said. In accordance with the Center for Disease Control’s updated five-day isolation
guidelines, those in isolation are advised to test the evening of their fifth day or the morning of their sixth day after testing positive if they are asymptomatic or if symptoms are improving, Klima said. Testing negative indicates the individual is no longer infectious and can resume normal activities, Klima said. PCT recommends anyone who tests positive to wear a well-fitted mask for the next 10 full days after testing positive or after symptoms began. “This way we can encourage those folks to test in the convenience of their home, and that frees up capacity and access for testing at our other regular proactive community testing sites,” Klima said. “It keeps those test
/ the daily texan staff
sites completely asymptomatic and a healthier place to test.” PCT is frequently updating its website as it changes its guidelines and operations, Klima said. “We’re providing this as an initiative to help folks identify their status at the end of their five-day isolation and (to) allow them to feel more comfortable knowing if they’re still infectious to those around them,” Klima said. “It’s allowing those that are still mildly symptomatic, at the tail end of their disease, to have a convenient test kit mailed to them so that they’re not having to source one themselves in the community, which we found has been difficult.”
The Texan strives to present all information fairly, accurately and completely. If we have made an error, let us know about it. E-mail managingeditor@thedailytexan.com.
NEWS
ANNA CANIZALES
3
News Editor | @THEDAILYTEXAN FRIDAY, JANUARY 28, 2022
CITY
Texas Blood Brigade aims to increase blood donations on campus
After the pandemic diminished the blood supply in Central Texas, Texas Blood Brigade aims to increase blood donations. By Joelle DiPaolo @JoelleDipaolo
hen touring one of Austin’s We Are Blood facilities last semester, Tasha Anslyn realized how heavily the pandemic had diminished the blood supply
in Central Texas. “The (tray) for O-positive blood, which is the universal blood donor, had one full tray and one partially full tray,” said Anslyn, a speech, language, and hearing sciences and neuroscience senior. “It was unreal.” As a response to the shortage, Anslyn co-founded the Texas Blood Brigade, which became an official student organization last month, to increase awareness about donating blood and to bring blood drives to UT. Nick Canedo, vice president of
community engagement for We Are Blood, said the blood donation center has experienced supply shortages since October 2020 due to population growth in Austin and the pandemic causing fewer community drives and hesitancy about going to donation centers. This local shortage comes as the Red Cross declared it is experiencing the “worst blood shortage in over a decade.” Canedo said the surge of COVID-19 cases this month only made the problem worse for We Are Blood, the primary blood supplier for Central Texas. “We see a stepping backward in the progress we were making (before Omicron), with hosting more local blood drives as communities go back to higher safety measures,” Canedo said. “It’s a perfect storm of dealing with a pandemic and decreased mobile drives and donations at the same time that we’re dealing with overall growth in blood transfusion units.” We Are Blood lost about half of their
donors between the ages of 17 and 19 and a quarter of donors in their 20s because of fewer blood drives on college and high school campuses, Canedo said. He said increasing student involvement with blood donations could have a huge impact on the amount of blood the company receives. “Just because the pandemic is going on doesn’t mean it’s not safe and it’s not necessary to donate,” said Anslyn, director of the Blood Brigade. “A huge population of blood donors is often college students. So we thought that the best way we could attack this is (to) use our resources (and) our connections.” Lucia Eade, the Blood Brigade’s communications director, said the organization’s goal is to encourage people to donate blood by answering commonly asked questions and breaking down scientific articles. “Having that information … maybe makes it easier for them to understand (that) it’s not as scary as it seems,” said
Eade, a Plan II and psychology senior. The Blood Brigade hosts blood drives on UT’s campus in partnership with We Are Blood. They often co-host with other student organizations in order to reach a wider student body, Anslyn said. Eade said they plan to host three blood drives on campus this semester. “Because we’ve had so much experience with hosting these blood drives, … we can really make the process easier and act as a liaison between the University, between the blood bank (and) between the student organizations who want to make an impact,” Anslyn said. Anslyn said they will use their official status to expand their initiatives. “Blood donation is a really important thing,” Anslyn said. “Hopefully we can encourage students to become recurring lifelong blood donors so that wherever they end up, they can impact the community around them.”
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/ the daily texan staff
UT alum Michael Vesper gives blood at the “We Are Blood” center on 4300 N Lamar Blv. We Are Blood has been organizing blood drives to increase awareness of the national blood shortage.
Flexible schedule, free STD testing
S A N I K A N AYA K
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Editor-In-Chief | @TEXANOPINION FRIDAY, JANUARY 28, 2022
COLUMN
OPINION
Release information about class format at least a week before tuition is due UT must share class format information with students at least a week before tuition is due so they can make informed decisions. By Julia Zaksek
Associate Opinion Editor
n Dec. 29, Austin officially moved to Stage 4 COVID-19 risk-based guidelines. Shortly before the holidays, hospitalizations and case numbers in Austin exponentially increased. Just a week later, on Jan. 6, Austin moved to Stage 5. However, University administration gave no indication of what the spring semester would entail and what format classes would take. While necessary for their health and safety, online classes have taken a heavy toll on many students. Learning online is challenging and has led to student struggles with mental health and academics. Many students chose to take gap years or gap semesters during the pandemic, opting to return to classes when in-person learning resumed. This semester, students were waiting to see if classes would return to the online format — if they did, some would consider taking a gap semester. However, it was not until Jan. 4 that the administration finally announced that the first few weeks of the semester
LEGALESE | Opinions expressed in The Daily Texan are those of the editor, the Editorial Board or the writer of the article. They are not necessarily those of the UT administration, the Board of Regents or the Texas Student Media Board of Operating Trustees.
would be online. Tuition was due at 5 p.m. on Jan. 6. Students considering taking a semester or more off had less than 48 hours to make their decision. The University must announce plans for class format at least one week before tuition is due. The format of classes is a key factor in students’ semester plans, and announcing changes a mere two days before tuition is due forces students to make an important decision in haste. “My experience with online classes these last few years was definitely not positive. My GPA has definitely gone down, so I know the impact online classes have on me,” electrical engineering senior Jesse Valdelamar said. “I certainly would not have come back to UT this semester … had they told us (classes would begin online) ahead of time.” Valdelamar said that the recent increases in tuition rates at UT have also made him consider the viability of taking a gap semester. “I probably would’ve taken a gap semester or gap year … my parents aren’t rich, and I would have used this opportunity to work, save up some money and come back when the pandemic was not as bad and circumstances were different,” Valdelamar said. The data on COVID-19 in Austin was available and clear at the end of December — it would not be safe to meet in person. Austin was moved to Stage 4 eight days before tuition was due, with cases clearly on the rise. “This decision (to move classes online until Jan. 31) was made by considering the spike in cases, increased hospitalizations and current and expected staff shortages in local hospitals and in some functional areas of campus,”
SUBMIT A FIRING LINE | Email your Firing Lines to editor@dailytexanonline.com. Letters must be more than 100 and fewer than 300 words. The Texan reserves the right to edit all submissions for brevity, clarity and liability.
carlyssa phoon
Eliska Padilla, UT Issues and Communications manager, said in an email. However, it’s clear that the administration could have made an informed decision about what format classes should take at least a week before tuition was due. There was data supporting a move online at the end of December. “I think they made that decision (to announce the move online Jan. 4) in order to give people less choice,” Valdelamar said. The pandemic is clearly not going
/ the daily texan staff
away, and it is likely the University will have to switch between virtual and in-person classes. The University must inform students about class format changes at least a week before any and all tuition payments are due. UT’s failure to inform students of the move online sufficiently before tuition was due dramatically reduced students’ ability to make an informed decision about their semester. Zaksek is a Plan II and women’s and gender studies senior from Allen, Texas.
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SPORTS
HANNAH WILLIFORD
5
Sports Editor | @TEXANSPORTS FRIDAY, JANUARY 28, 2022
FEATURE
New volleyball assistant coach Jordan Larson looks to next season The former Nebraska star is now headed to Texas for her first coaching gig.
By Jordan Mitchell @TheJordanKenzie
or 13 years, trifecta Olympian Jordan Larson has bounced between playing volleyball professionally overseas and for the United States national team. Now, at 35, she will walk away from the court as an athlete and transition into her new role as the assistant coach for the Texas volleyball team. On Jan. 11, head coach Jerritt Elliott announced that the former Nebraska Cornhusker would join the coaching staff in the wake of longtime assistant Tonya Johnson taking over the head coaching job at LSU. Because of Larson’s reputation as one of the most accomplished outside hitters in recent volleyball history, they hope she will boost morale on a team that is still navigating the unexpected departures of junior all-Americans Skylar Fields and Jhenna Gabriel. “This is a home run hire,” Elliott said in a press briefing. “Jordan loves the game, wants to give back and will be a great mentor to all of the ladies that come into our program.”
Although this will be her first formal coaching job, Larson has worked with volleyball legends like Karch Kiraly and John Cook and led the U.S. to a gold medal performance in the 2020 Olympics as team captain. “I feel like I’ve been flexing that skill of being a coach for quite a few years,” Larson said. “(Because) I’m married to a head coach, I’m always kind of around the coaching conversations. I still have a lot to learn, but I trust that I’ve seen a lot of levels and can (see) things (in a different) way.” To get the Longhorns back in contention for the NCAA title, Larson said she will ask tough questions of her athletes and challenge the purpose behind everything they do. “As a player, having an understanding of why you’re doing something and why that is so crucial leads to a perfect recipe for winning championships,” Larson said. “The best times that I can remember as a player is when all those things come together, and you’re a cohesive unit. It adds so much more depth to winning a championship.” Larson is also joining Texas associate coach Erik Sullivan in Elliott’s accomplished coaching staff. Sullivan served as one of
Larson’s assistant coaches at Nebraska during her senior season, as well as the U.S. national team and went to an Olympics. “When you’ve been to an Olympics, there’s (a shared experience) like, ‘Oh, you’ve been there too, you understand (what) it takes to get there,’” Larson said. “I think (we are) automatically on a similar wavelength. He just has a mind for the game, and I have massive respect for him.” As a product of another volleyball blueblood program in Nebraska, Larson sees similarities in mindset and culture between her alma mater and Texas. “One thing that makes Nebraska and Texas so special is the fan base and the support from coaches and as a player,” Larson said. “It’s fun to play in those environments and to feel like you’ve got people pulling for you.” Although she is very competitive, Larson said her perfect season would be experiencing personal growth as a coach and building connections with her new coaching staff and athletes. “It’s not just about the result of that trophy, right?” Larson said. “It’s the process of getting there. And so that’s where I want to end up.”
copyright peyton sims, and reproduced with permission
Former Olympian Jordan Larson is stepping into the void left by previous assistant coach Tonya Johnson, who left for the head coaching job at LSU.
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FRIDAY, JANUARY 28, 2022
SPORTS
FEATURE
Two Texas basketball superfans light up the crowd in a unique way at games By Ethan Ferguson @ethan_ferguson6
Jonathan Stewart and Mumin Ahmed lived a block away from each other in Round Rock, Texas, since they were about 10 years old. They’ve gone to the same middle school, high school and college — both juniors and roommates at the University of Texas. Although they grew up together with a passion for anything sports-related, they developed other interests at college. Stewart majors in supply chain management, Ahmed in biology. Stewart was born and raised into a Longhorn family, and his devotion influenced Ahmed’s love for the burnt orange. “I really bought into Jonathan’s hype about Texas,” Ahmed said. This season, the Texas men’s basketball team played its first game in Gregory Gym since 1977, defeating Sam Houston State 73-57. It was at this game where Stewart was first noticed by head coach Chris Beard. Wearing a vibrant Hawaiian shirt, Stewart was standing underneath the hoop in perfect position for the cameras. After every make for the Longhorns, he would punch his fist in the air more vigorously than anyone else in the stands. Following the game, the men’s basketball social media team went to Twitter in search of “Hawaiian Shirt Guy.” Stewart was in class when the tweet was sent out. However, Ahmed was getting a haircut and immediately noticed his friend in the post. “I was just blowing up Jonathan’s phone,” Ahmed said. “‘You need to check Twitter, right now!’” Stewart was shocked at first, thinking there was no way the tweet could be real. Stewart wore the Hawaiian shirt to Texas basketball games unaware that it would bring him all of the current attention. “Anytime I go to a basketball game wearing the Hawaiian shirt, people notice,” Stewart said. “People jokingly just call me ‘Hawaiian Shirt Guy’ now at work and random places.” Shortly thereafter, Ahmed received notice that the men’s basketball team was
looking for the “Incredibly Loud Guy” as well. After being identified as the Texas superfans, Stewart and Ahmed received invitations from Beard to attend practices and meet the team. Stewart, having been noticed first, was granted the opportunity to attend a film breakdown with the Longhorns where Beard and the team critiqued his celebrations. “Beard gave me access to everything,” Stewart said. “I watched the full film breakdown of the Greg game sitting in the front row.” Ahmed recalled observing a practice from the top row of the Frank Erwin
Center, memorizing plays as they were drawn up in front of him. “Watching the practices made me buy in even more,” Ahmed said. Stewart will wear his Hawaiian shirt, even though he treats it like an ordinary shirt, to every Texas sporting event he goes to from here on out. Ahmed, prioritizing what is clean at the moment, said he’ll stick with the classic boots, jeans and a polo. Having only missed one game this season, their roles as superfans are to get their section in the stands up and into the game. They’ve been known to call out to other sections that aren’t hyped up enough, and the pair sprint-walks to their seats at the
beginning of each game in hopes of being in the front row. Fan engagement continues to be massively important to Beard. The first-year head coach makes sure to thank Texas students and fans for their support after each home game in his postgame remarks. The Texas men’s basketball team is now on the lookout for two more fans: Banana Suit Man and Spider-Man. Stewart and Ahmed always had passion for sports growing up together, but now they are forever connected through Texas basketball. “Now I can say I’m the biggest basketball fan I’ve ever been in my life,” Stewart said.
julius shieh
/ the daily texan staff
Long-time childhood friends and roommates Mumin Ahmed and Jonathan Stewart are known as the “Incredibly Loud Guy” and the “Hawaiian Shirt Guy,” respectively for their Texas basketball fandom.
LIFE&ARTS
ZOE TZANIS
7
Life&Arts Editor | @TEXANARTS FRIDAY, JANUARY 28, 2022
STUDENT LIFE
Aquaponics club continues sustainability initiatives Despite broken greenhouse, Aquaponics members persevere and find creative solutions. By Isabella Gonzalez @isauhbellah
illed with lush greenery and bobbing iridescent fish, the Painter Greenhouse, which sits right behind Painter Hall, once served as a space for project-building, experimentation and community gathering. For the Aquaponics club, it was home. However, after sustaining extensive damages as a result of Winter Storm Uri and the hailstorm that followed, the greenhouse, now filled with broken pipes and shattered window panes, dons a much grimmer appearance. An environmentally conscious method of agriculture, aquaponics involves a blend of raising fish and growing plants without the use of soil. UT Aquaponics allows undergraduates to learn about sustainability while also developing engineering skills through design, team collaboration and leadership. However, according to Aquaponics club co-leaders Zoe Welch and Anh Nguyen, with limited resources and no greenhouse, they can’t replicate the fun hands-on experience. “That’s what made me fall in love with (Aquaponics) — I get to physically touch things,” environmental engineering senior Welch said. “It’s not just research, not just on my computer, you get so much of that in class (already).” On top of helping members gain practical skills, Nguyen, a
mechanical engineering senior, said the greenhouse fostered a strong sense of community, allowing members to feel more welcome. “It (kept) our engagement going, just being at the greenhouse allowed us to hang around and talk,” Nguyen said. “We (were) always doing something in there. Since it’s out in the open with sunlight passing through, (it) helps people feel more comfortable rather than listening to someone talk or lecture.” For environmental engineering and Plan II senior Sara Murillo, Aquaponics stands out because of its emphasis on inclusivity. Contrasting the male-dominated Cockrell School of Engineering, the majority of Aquaponics is female, and regardless of experience level, she said the group always made her feel valued. “In (Aquaponics), it’s all about encouraging participation and learning,” Murillo said. “Even people who know way more than me are super willing to listen to my ideas.” Despite the open and engaging environment, without access to the greenhouse, Murillo said they no longer have adequate space to grow plant beds or the opportunity to mimic industry standards. “The things we actually need are in the greenhouse, and we can’t take all that out,” Nguyen said. “We’re keeping our project floating as is, and (we’re) trying to think of other possibilities.” Aquaponics’ newest project idea involves developing a mobile aquaponics system for outreach events. Despite
megan clarke
not having the greenhouse, Welch and Nguyen said they continue to maintain club operations. “I think with a lot of other leaders, the group would’ve just completely dissipated, but Zoe and Anh are determined,” Murillo said. In hopes of finally being able to repair the greenhouse, both Welch and Nguyen plan to apply for UT’s Green Fund, a competitive grant program funded by student tuition that subsidizes sustainability-related projects led by students, faculty and staff. In 2017, the Green Fund committee granted Aquaponics $17,000 to refurbish the worn-down Painter Greenhouse. This time, Aquaponics hopes the Green Fund will once again grant
/ the daily texan staff
them money to repair the damage. “It’s a great project that has produced some kind of impact to either the campus scenery or to the student body itself,” Nguyen said. “I’m hopeful about getting some money from this and moving forward with Aquaponics.” Jill Parrish, staff member at UT’s Office of Sustainability and manager of the Green Fund program, said she admires Aquaponics’ flexibility and creativity despite the many challenges they’ve faced. “I’m in awe of them,” Parrish said. “My favorite part of my job is interacting with students that exhibit such passion and creativity and perseverance for sustainability and are able to continue in the face of adversity.”
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FRIDAY, JANUARY 28, 2022
LIFE&ARTS
STUDENT LIFE
Students express style, identity through favorite clothing items APPLICATIONS AVAILABLE FOR
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Tuesday, February 1, 2022 at 12 PM These positions are due to be certified for the campus-wide elections at the TSM Board meeting scheduled for
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By Sage Dunlap @SageDunlapp
When strutting down Speedway, Longhorns love to show off their individual style, expressing themselves through different fashion trends and unique pieces. The Daily Texan asked students to search deep in their closets and dig up their favorite clothing item. Alexandra Meub, government sophomore
While on a trip to her family’s annual go-to spot for seasonal bluebonnet pictures, Meub said she found the piece of a lifetime in a quaint vintage boutique. “(The store) was called A Blast from the Past, and sadly, it has since closed,” Meub said. “It was floor-to-ceiling full of antique and vintage furniture, clothing, jewelry (and) shoes. (They) had gorgeous dresses, and I got to play dress up.” Among the cluttered racks overflowing with unique apparel, one Texan staple caught Meub’s eye — a leather jacket. “The back has a Thunderbird head,” Meub said. “(It) speaks to me because both my parents met at a graduate school where the mascot was a Thunderbird.” Aside from the jacket’s symbolic allure, Meub said the piece also reminds her to stay connected with family and cherish seemingly mundane memories. “This jacket reminds me of when my family was closer and keeps me empowered to strengthen our relationship,” Meub said. Lea Cakic, nutrition freshman
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“(My mom) never told me she made clothes,” Cakic said. “I started making clothes myself, and she was like, ‘Did you know I (made clothes) too?’” After discovering her mother’s secret talent, Cakic discovered that many of her
/ the daily texan staff clothes were actually handmade pieces crafted by her mother before she moved from Croatia to America in 2001. “My grandma would make clothes for her, so (my mom) followed the same footsteps,” Cakic said. When she puts on the maroon turtleneck dress her mother knitted in her early 20s, Cakic said she thinks of the time and effort her mother put into making the timeless garment, a recreation of a piece she saw in a Croatian magazine. “It took her about two months,” Cakic said. “It makes me feel unique, because when I first started wearing it … she was so excited. She went into her closet and pulled out this magazine she saved from 30 years ago.” Ashlee Richards-Rood, psychology freshman
“I just dress how I want,” Richards-Rood said. “It’s one style one day, one style the next. I like having Gothic, retro, streetwear (and) preppy looks. I love doing everything.” Every once in a while, Richards-Rood said they find a piece that nearly satisfies all of their favorite styles, and it quickly becomes a staple of their wardrobe. When they received a black-and-white Urban Outfitters skirt for their 18th birthday, the flowy, slitted piece instantly became their favorite. “I get reminded every time I wear it (that) my best friend bought this for me,” the psychology freshman said. “I’m able to style it with a bunch of things. I feel confident in it too because it’s a statement piece.” Richards-Rood said the skirt reminds them of their love of clothing and their ability to incorporate any piece into a cohesive outfit. “Fashion is a big part of my life, and it’s something that I’m passionate about,” Richards-Rood said. “I consume a lot of different types of media, and I kind of just mix and match stuff that I see.”
LIFE&ARTS
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FRIDAY, JANUARY 28, 2022
STUDENT LIFE
What Starts Here: Students discuss University motto, plans to change world
By Angela Lim @angelaiim
Born and raised in Texas, Tavi Singleton said she never saw the world beyond the Lone Star State’s borders until she took a trip to California last summer and felt her horizons widened by the bustling city life and skyline of downtown Los Angeles. “Something clicked in my head and made me realize (LA) was a place I wanted to experience a portion of my life,” said Singleton, an Asian cultures and languages senior. At UT, the words, “What starts here changes the world,” represent the institution’s goal of fostering students to become innovators in their chosen disciplines as they create solutions and pursue various opportunities elsewhere. While some Longhorns see their mission to change the world as something that will take them far and wide, others strive to bring UT’s motto to life by becoming trailblazers in their existing communities. Singleton said she discovered a passion for health administration after seeing her parents battle sickness during the pandemic. She said she plans to study the field out of state and hopes to make health care more accessible for marginalized communities. “The motto stands (as) a representation of what all the students here are capable of,” Singleton said.
“As an underclassman, I was very onetrack minded in terms of what I wanted to do with my career, but through my experiences (at UT), I’ve realized that you don’t have to limit yourself to one path.” After finding his love for governmental institutions and processes in high school, junior Leland Murphy decided to pursue government as his major in college. Now, as a UT student, he promotes service and leadership with organizations on and off campus as a member of the University’s Senate of College Councils and an intern in the Texas State Capitol. “Getting to help out and do advocacy has been awesome,” Murphy said. “Being at UT has opened up the door for those opportunities.” With plans to go to law school, Murphy said he aims to address issues of the working class within Texas, especially those affected by financial institutions. Growing up in Texas and feeling a deep attachment to its people, he said he wants to focus on statewide problems. “The mindset of just giving up is something that I’ve never been fond of,” Murphy said. “These people deserve help, so I want to be there organizing and advocating with them and not just being like, ‘Oh, it’s hard, so it’s not worth it’ — because the people here (in Texas) are worth fighting for.” To make her mark on the world, radio-television-film sophomore Brandy
Frausto intends to tell stories through cinema. Finding joy in making connections within the UT community, she said she gets her ideas for projects through conversations with those around her. “I love hearing other people’s stories — where they come from and what they love to do,” Frausto said. “Sometimes, these people are even inspirations for the scripts I write or produce. I’m like, ‘Oh, wow, I actually got this from somebody that I met on Speedway the other day.’”
To Frausto, “What starts here changes the world” means taking what she learns at UT wherever she goes. Frausto said she wants to give back to her Texan roots by sharing the knowledge she gained from professors and peers and leaving a positive impact on her audience. “I’m going to end up wherever life takes me,” Frausto said. “If that’s in Texas, then cool. (If) not in Texas, that’s great as well. At the end of the day, I know that my home is always going to be here in Texas.”
chloe kim
/ the daily texan staff
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FRIDAY, JANUARY 28, 2022
NEWS
STATE
8 LBJ Women’s Campaign School alumni to run in upcoming elections
copyright joy diaz, and reproduced with permission
Joy Diaz is one of eight alumni of the LBJ Women’s Campaign School who are running in the March primary elections.
By Mackenzie Sullivan @macksully
Eight alumni from the LBJ Women’s Campaign School are running for different city and state government positions across the country in the March primary elections. The LBJ Women’s Campaign School was established in 2019 as a bipartisan program dedicated to helping women launch their own political campaigns. The program lasts about six months and features weekly synchronous virtual classes, guest speakers and mock campaigns. There have been two graduating cohorts of about 50 to 70 students, and three alumni ran in various municipal elections last year, with two of them winning. Amy Kroll, the school’s founder and executive director, said she always harbored a passion for women’s political involvement. She experienced the barriers women in those positions face while working in politics and decided she wanted to make a difference. “Growing up, I always knew that women were underrepresented in the political arena,” Kroll said. “It wasn’t until 2018-2019 that I really decided to step up and do something about it in a big transformative way.” Erin Shank, a state representative candidate for Waco, said she realized there’s a strong sense of community in the program after her daughter was hospitalized 48 hours before her group’s final speech. “I gave the stump speech final exam from (Baylor Scott & White Medical Center) in Waco, Texas, at (my daughter’s) bedside with my campaign treasurer and ground fundraiser all cheering me on,” Shank said. “That was probably the strongest sense of camaraderie and support I’ve ever had.” Dawn Gile, a candidate for Maryland’s Senate District 33, said the program’s
virtual format allowed her to attend from out of state. She said she still felt connected to the other participants through the supportive nature of the program. Gile said she always wanted to run for office but never knew where to begin until she found the program. “Our group was just so inspiring and supportive, especially when you consider that this is a nonpartisan group,” Gile said. “It was a really wonderful program with great speakers that really gave us the nuts and bolts of how to run for office.” Anna Beth Gorman, a candidate for Arkansas’ secretary of state, said the program made a conscious effort to be nonpartisan by always bringing in guest speakers from different political parties. Gorman said working with women of different standpoints gave her a sense of hope for political collaboration in the future. “If they’re willing to give their time from both sides of the aisle, I think it gives you encouragement that there are people (who) are willing to work collaboratively out in the political world,” Gorman said. Joy Diaz, a Democratic candidate for Texas governor, said she enjoyed the program’s nonpartisanship because it challenged her and some of her classmates’ preconceptions. “All those walls that we had of, ‘Thou shalt only think this way because you belong to X party,’ were collapsing as we knew each other and as we learned about the issues that we all cared about,” Diaz said. Kroll said she is extremely proud of the eight alumni running for office and the role the program played in their political journey. “We want these women to be a part of building our society (and) our democracy as we move forward through this pandemic,” Kroll said.
NEWS
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FRIDAY, JANUARY 28, 2022
NEWS
UT students recall memories of Texas French Bread after fire destroys bakery hope unger
By Hope Unger @imhopeunger
The Austin Fire Department responded to a fire at Texas French Bread in North Campus on Monday evening. Everyone inside the building got out safely before the flames destroyed the building. The initial 911 call came in at 10:50 p.m. and AFD arrived on the scene two minutes later, according to AFD division chief Thayer Smith. Smith said the fire was an accident caused by an oven vent mechanical failure. The fire caused about $1.1 million in structural damage and $500,000 in losses from contents inside of the building, Smith said.
“It was in the attic,” Smith said. “That’s why it got going so good and (employees) didn’t see it because the fire was above them. It was through the roof when (AFD) got there.” Megan Thomas, a bakery packing employee at Texas French Bread who witnessed the fire, said the staff felt like family. “One of my favorite things was that we would have a family meal every night that the kitchen staff would make us,” said Thomas, a biochemistry and psychology senior. “It wouldn’t just be something that they threw together, like leftovers. It was usually the type of quality that they would be serving to the guests.” Thomas said even though
it was a service industry job, Texas French Bread felt like a community, and everyone on staff was a part of each other’s lives outside of work. “For future jobs, (Texas French Bread) definitely raised my standard of what a job should be,” Thomas said. “Everyone was so communicative and compassionate towards each other.” Bennett Burke, a history and political communications junior, said he worked at Texas French Bread in 2021. During one stressful shift, the bakery manager came to him to ask if he was okay after seeing his distress, Burke said. “It was a very human moment,” Burke said. “Somebody whose job wasn’t even serving, who didn’t really
know me that well, wanted to make sure I was alright. It had a feeling of a very close-knit team that worked together well.” Burke said he learned about the history of Texas French Bread from a customer one day at work. According to KVUE, the building opened in 1939, and at the time of opening, it was home to a neighborhood grocery store. The building was the Rome Inn before Texas French Bread was established in 1981, according to its website. Burke listed Stevie Ray Vaughan, Lou Ann Barton and the Thunderbirds as a few of many artists that played at the Rome Inn, which served pizza by day and housed music gigs by night.
/ the daily texan file
“It sort of feels symbolic of what Austin’s experiencing right now,” Burke said. “All that’s local and historical and community-oriented sort of feels like it’s burning down and it’s getting very corporatized.” After the fire, the community flooded social media with posts about personal memories of Texas French Bread. A friend of the bakery’s owners created a GoFundMe to support the staff that, at the time of publishing, had raised over $150,000. “I know this is such a strong community and everyone is so supportive that we’ll be able to pull together and keep Texas French Bread alive, even if it takes a year or two to rebuild everything,” Thomas said.
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Comics Editor | @TEXANCOMICS FRIDAY, JANUARY 28, 2022
COMICS