serving the university of texas at austin community since
@thedailytexan |
thedailytexan . com
1900
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2018
volume
119,
issue
NEWS
OPINION
LIFE&ARTS
SPORTS
UT ranks at the top by the Princeton Review for the ninth consecutive year. PA G E 2
UT should switch to a openminded, test-flexible admissions process. PA G E 4
Insurance lawyer promotes law firm through late-night rock performances. PA G E 8
Texas’ backcourt puts together an impressive showing in crucial Big 12 matchup . PA G E 6
STATE
94
STATE
UT, A&M students push to reestablish rivalry game
Bill would force undocumented students to pay out-ofstate tuition
By Hannah Ortega @_hannahortega_
By Chase Karacostas @chasekaracostas
A bill filed by state Rep. Kyle Biedermann could take away undocumented students’ ability to pay in-state tuition at Texas colleges and universities. If it passes, the cost of tuition for undocumented students at UT could quadruple, jumping from just over $10,000 to almost $40,000. House Bill 413 would repeal an earlier state law, the first of its kind in the nation that passed 176–5 across both chambers in 2001. Under the current law, United States citizens can establish residency and pay in-state tuition after living in Texas for one year. People without documentation could do the same, provided they signed an affidavit stating they would apply for legal status as soon as they were eligible. In recent years though, the law has been the subject of attacks from Republicans in the House and Senate, including Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who leads the upper chamber. The new bill specifically goes after residency requirements, which control whether someone can pay in-state tuition, for undocumented students. Students without legal status would not be eligible to apply for Texas residency for tuition purposes, and institutions would have the right to revoke residency status to those who previously received it. “I am proud to fight for the taxpayer,” Biedermann, R-Fredericksburg, said in a statement after filing the bill in November. “Magnet policies that benefit illegal immigrants hurt citizens and those who immigrated here legally. We must remove these magnets and protect our border.” A similar bill was filed during the 2017 legislative session, though it never got a committee hearing. Another received a hearing in 2015 but did not get enough votes to be sent to the full Senate. Public health junior Pili Gyasi, the president of Latino advocacy group Jolt Texas at UT, said the bill would make higher education in Texas unattainable for many undocumented students who can barely afford in-state tuition costs. “To a Dreamer and a (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) recipient, this is more than a simple bill,” Gyasi said. “To them this is their livelihood to be able gain an education, to stay in school, to get access to UNDOCUMENTED
page
By Lisa Nhan @Lmnhan24
he national chapter of Sigma Alpha Epsilon and Texas Rho have reached a settlement agreement, resulting in a “complete disaffiliation” of the two parties and bringing an end to lawsuits filed by both groups. Former UT SAE members formed Texas Rho after UT SAE was suspended by their national chapter and the University for a number of hazing offenses, as previously reported by The Daily Texan. The settlement agreement, obtained by The Daily Texan, requires an official resignation from SAE by any currently active Texas Rho member. This includes every undergraduate member of Texas Rho who was a member of SAE and all SAE alumni serving on Texas Rho’s current board of directors and house board. Texas Rho is also required to discontinue any use of SAE trademarks, pay SAE an undisclosed amount for trademark violation, take down the letters from the front of the chapter house and return all SAE regalia. However, the house, located at the corner of 24th and Pearl streets, remains under Texas Rho ownership.
Texas Rho is pleased with the terms of the settlement, Texas Rho president Trey Scardino said in a statement. “From this point forward, we are Texas Rho, an independent fraternity organization with all of its storied history intact,” finance junior Scardino said in the statement. “While we are not a registered student organization at the University of Texas, our members are active on campus and in the Austin community. We look forward to welcoming another outstanding new member class this fall.” Following the suspension from nationals, the University launched its own investigation, then suspended the chapter and revoked its registered student organization status in March 2018. The independent fraternity hopes to become a registered student organization again, according to a letter to Texas Rho alumni and active parents on their website. “These board members are very hopeful that, once having re-established itself as such an exemplary fraternity, the University will be persuaded to readmit the Texas Rho Fraternity as a registered student organization at UT,” the letter said.
TEXAS RHO
page
2
In recent weeks, students at UT and Texas A&M University have forged an alliance in the name of football rivalry. Student Body President Colton Becker, the Longhorn Athletics Agency within Student Government and others are working with A&M student leaders to bring back the UT and A&M rivalry game, which was played every year from 1915 to 2011. The administration of Micky Wolf, former Student Body Vice President, and Alejandrina Guzman, former Student Body President, started the movement to revive the game, and the campaign has been rekindled. “We wanted to kind of keep it up because there was an article in the (Austin American-Statesman) where both presidents, A&M and UT, expressed a desire for the game to be played again, so we took that as a hint, and we … are trying to run with that and create a new, reinvigorated campaign for it,” said Jake Greenberg, Longhorn Athletics Agency director. In 2017, 96.7 percent of nearly 8,000 participating UT students voted in favor of re-establishing the rivalry game. A&M will present a similar vote to their student body this spring. “One of the great aspects of this campaign is that we’re working hand-in-hand with the student leaders on the A&M campus, so it’s been really refreshing and nice to get their take on it,” finance sophomore Greenberg said. In his State of the State address on Tuesday, Gov. Greg Abbott voiced his support for a proposed bill that would revive the rivalry game. Becker said that the UT students pushing for the rivalry are now preparing to speak with A&M students about penning a joint letter to Gov. Abbott. “It was really validating and exciting for us to hear that the Governor supports it because he really has a lot of push and can really lend this movement a lot of momentum,” Becker said. Despite the campaign’s ongoing efforts, nutrition senior Becker said Student Government’s main legislative attention remains on other campus-wide issues. “In regards to the Legislature, we’re focused on advocating for UT’s specific needs, so like with the new chair of the higher education committee, which just happened a couple weeks ago, and emphasis being placed on school and
RIVALRY
2
page
2
CAMPUS
UT dietitians create healthy, allergen-free menus for student dining By Nicole Stuessy @nicolestuessy
The food allergen symbols on dining hall menus may seem small, but UT dietitians put great effort into creating them for every menu item to help students with dietary needs. Registered dietitians Lindsay Wilson and Sotear Kuy work with students who have food allergies to create personalized menus. Students who register through Services for Students with Disabilities can have their meals prepared daily in a separate kitchen at Cypress Bend Cafe or Littlefield Patio Cafe,” Wilson said. “The students will pre-order their meals, and the staff members prepare their meals to avoid any cross-contact,” Wilson said. “If a student chooses to self-manage their diet on campus, I can
meet with them and give tips on how to avoid those food items they may be allergic to.” Although the dietitians do not create daily menus at dining halls, they work with chefs at the locations to integrate healthier items and host events to educate students on how to make healthier choices, Wilson said. “We want to be able to have a focus with educating the student community,” Wilson said. “If you have healthy choices available and nobody takes them, then what good are those healthy choices?” Once a month, the dietitians will host student focus groups to get feedback on different menu items, including a vegetarian-specific group, Kuy said. “It’s pretty much a platform for all of our students to voice their opinion on food items that are vegetarian and vegan,” Kuy
chloe bertrand | the daily texan staff Dietitian Lindsay Wilson works closely with students with unique dietary needs to avoid food items they may be allergic to. Her focus along with the Services for Students with Disabilities is to educate the student body of the healthier options available on campus for those who need it.
said. “We also take feedback on what the students want to see in our dining halls.” Business honors freshman Varsha Vasu said she has been vegetarian her whole life and appreciates the variety of options in the dining halls around campus. “It was initially a concern, living in a dorm and not having too many dining options,” Vasu said. “I like to eat at Kinsolving because there is always tofu, hummus and falafel.” Kuy said she is working on new Asian-inspired menu items for the “Fresh and Simple Taste” line in J2, which will be added to the menu next fall. “It can be challenging at times, but I definitely like the challenge,” Kuy said. “The bigger picture is, there are these students who once may have been able to enjoy those types of foods, and they can now see them in a different way.”