The Daily Texan 2019-02-12 by The Daily Texan

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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2019

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NEWS

OPINION

LIFE&ARTS

SPORTS

Food trucks on campus began serving breakfast food options this month. PA G E 3

UT Computer Science needs to hire more faculty to improve diversity. PA G E 4

UT student displays eccentric music taste in extensive record collection. PA G E 5

Texas hopes to use new team mindset in Big 12 clash against Kansas State. PA G E 6

UNIVERSITY

CAMPUS

FIGs, TrIGs to begin consent education starting fall 2019 semester

Robotics finds new home

By Hannah Ortega @_hannahortega_

In order to teach incoming students about consent and healthy relationships, classes for First-Year Interest Group and Transfer-Year Interest Group mentors will include consent education starting this semester. The consent education program is a joint effort between the First-Year Experience Office, Student Government and other campus groups such as the Title IX Office, BeVocal and the Counseling and Mental Health Center’s Voices Against Violence. “We want to make sure that we’re sort of staying away from (the) ‘train the trainer’ definition of (consent education) because we also don’t expect that peer mentors can go through a two-hour education program and then be experts to train other people on it,” said Patty Moran Micks, director of the First-Year Experience Office. “But what we hope is that we will be able to work with these offices and our mentors to develop something that we could implement for all students, whether that be new types of promotional materials or new ways of talking about what do you do in these situations.” Student Government leaders approached Micks and Brent Iverson, dean of the School of Undergraduate Studies, over the summer about consent education. Student Body President Colton Becker said the idea stemmed from a model used by Not On My Campus, a sexual assault prevention group in which leaders from campus organizations attend workshops and then teach their peers what they learn. Sexual assault prevention was also one of Becker’s campaign platform points last year.

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joshua guenther | the daily texan staff Mathematics sophomore Ivonne Martinez walks by construction at the Anna Hiss Gymnasium on her way to class in Robert Lee Moore Hall. The gym is the new home of UT’s robotics program.

Construction begins to modernize Anna Hiss Gymnasium By Nicole Stuessy @nicolestuessy

For the past two years, Texas Aerial Robotics has worked out of empty classroom spaces in the aerospace engineering building. Because there is no lab on campus big enough, they test fly their drone on the top floor of a nearby parking garage. “That wasn’t able to be used when there was any weather related issue, like if it was windy or raining, or even too sunny,” said Umer Salman, president of Texas Aerial Robotics. “Because we were only

able to test our drone outdoors, it affected the way our sensors behaved.” Last week, construction began on the Anna Hiss Gymnasium to house UT robotics programs. Currently, different robotics labs are located across engineering and natural sciences buildings, but they don’t have a centralized location, according to computer science professor Peter Stone. “This will give us the space for large projects across departments,” Stone said. “Students from the different departments will have the space to sit together and interact with each other directly rather than just meeting at their different buildings.”

Anna Hiss Gym was built in 1930 as a recreation area, which included gym space and a natatorium, but has been underutilized for years, said Jill Stewart, associate director of Project Management and Construction Services. “It’s an older building, so we are looking to give a more modern, contemporary use for it,” Stewart said. “We are kind of out of room on campus to create more space, so we are taking existing space and are able to renovate it so that it fits the needs of the program.” Beginning stages of construction will

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CAMPUS

STATE

UT senior receives aerospace fellowship

How to effectively testify in front of state Legislature

By Mason Carroll @MasonCCarroll

From the moment Mykaela Dunn sat in the Apollo 17 cockpit at Space Center Houston when she was six years old, she knew she wanted to be an astronaut. As her love for tinkering grew, she turned her sights to aerospace engineering. In January, Dunn, an aerospace engineering senior, was named one of 38 undergraduate women to receive the Brooke Owens Fellowship, which promotes women and diversity in aerospace by matching fellows with leading aviation and space companies. “This just feels like a win,” Dunn said. “Just the fact that I can finally get my foot in the door has really helped me. I’ve never seen this many girls in STEM, and just seeing that many girls in aerospace … there’s just no words to describe it. It’s amazing.” Hundreds of students from around the world applied for the fellowship. Dunn said she almost did not apply for the fellowship because she came from a small town and did not have a strong science foundation or a role model to look up to. “I think it is important to have something there for women because it’s really intimidating walking into a classroom and seeing 100 white men,” Dunn said. “I didn’t see any women of

By Chad Lyle @lylechad

amna ijaz | the daily texan staff Aerospace engineering senior Mykaela Dunn shows off her excitement for her upcoming fellowship as she works on a class project in the Aerospace Engineering Building on Tuesday afternoon.

color in engineering growing up, so I think (the fellowship) is doing a really good job at (fixing) that.” Dunn said one of her biggest supporters has been her academic adviser, Sarah Kitten. Kitten has worked with Dunn since 2015, when Dunn was a prospective student, and said she has continued to watch Dunn grow through the following semesters. “From the first day I met her, she was over the moon — no pun intended — excited about pursuing an aerospace engineering degree here at UT-Austin,” Kitten said in an email. “I think if I were to describe

Mykaela’s journey thus far, it would be one of perseverance and resilience.” Dunn said she also wants to be the mentor she never had. Thus, she has been a peer adviser in the department of aerospace engineering for the past three years. “I would like to provide kids with something to look at and say, ‘If she can do it, I can do it,’” Dunn said. “Having a role model to look up to could really help kids out. Or, at least would really have helped me out.” While Dunn said she might not have had an engineering role model, she looks up to both of her parents because they came from poverty and

have worked hard to provide her with a good life. “This is something that she has dreamt of about her entire life,” Dunn’s father Charles Dunn said. “It’s like a dream that is becoming true, and we are so proud of her.” In June, Dunn will head to Alameda, California, to start her internship at Stealth Space Company. Dunn said she knows it will be hard, but she knows she is capable. “It’s going to be an interesting experience,” Dunn said. “I know I am destined for greatness no matter what I do, so as long as I keep that in mind, I know I can do it.”

Testifying before the state Legislature is one of the few ways — aside from voting — Texans can affect the legislative process. The process of testifying is not well known, and it is not as accessible as walking into a voting booth. But Sherri Greenberg, a former state representative and a professor at the LBJ School of Public Affairs, said it can significantly impact the way lawmakers think about an issue. “If you think about the number of bills that come before the Legislature, the vast majority of them, they’re not topics on which people have predetermined philosophies, ethics, notions, opinions,” Greenberg said. “For many, many bills, it’s really about hearing from people, finding out the facts, finding out the issues. Many times, the testimony is important.” After a bill is filed, it is referred to the committee where its hearing will take place. All hearings are open to the public, but some only allow invited testimony. The notice for the hearing will specify if public testimony is allowed and the time limit for individual testimonies. Selina Eshraghi, who has testified in front of committees in both the House and Senate, said the process is not as simple as showing up to

the Capitol the day you want to testify. Those interested in testifying are required to sign up in advance. “The sign-up process is a little bit confusing if you don’t really know what you’re doing ahead of time,” said Eshraghi,

For many, many bills, it’s really about hearing from people, finding out the facts, finding out the issues. Many times, the testimony is important.” SHERRI GREENBERG PROFESSOR

a radio-television-film and chemical engineering sophomore. “The sign-up process is different for whether it’s the House doing the hearing or the Senate doing the hearing.” Giving effective testimony requires speakers to follow the rules of the hearing, said Susan Nold, director of UT’s Annette Strauss Institute for

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anthony mireles | daily texan staff Texas Army ROTC cadets Tae Kim (top) and Landen White practice enemy prisoner of war (EPW) search drills as part of a traning lab exercise.

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“When we were brainstorming … what does the community need in terms of sexual assault prevention, what can we do better as a school, we thought about bringing this peer education model to as many students as possible,” Becker said. “We thought, ‘Well, freshman are … traditionally the most vulnerable group on campus,’ and … we decided to do the FIGs and TrIGs because there was already infrastructure in place there.” Currently, FIG and TrIG mentors attend a weekly class where they learn how to effectively lead their group of students. Micks said Theatre for Dialogue, a Voices Against Violence program, will hold a performance about consent in the March mentor classes. Then, experts from various offices involved in consent education will speak with the mentors. “I definitely wish that I’d

gotten a chance to have it included in my training when I was a FIG mentor, but I think the most important takeaway from its addition is the fact that it will have a positive impact on the experiences and hopefully the mentality of both FIG mentors and figlets,” said Sadika Eslaminejad, a fall 2018 FIG mentor and health promotion major. Although the groups behind the initiative are still developing the curriculum for this fall’s incoming students, Micks said the consent education is partly based on “Get Sexy. Get Consent,” a onehour Voices Against Violence program on consent, boundaries and safety. “Mentors are getting trained this semester and will be equipped with (the) information and resources they need to facilitate discussions about consent beginning in fall 2019,” Becker said in a text. “Our priority right now is to ensure they feel comfortable and confident executing this task.”

lauren ibanez

| the daily texan staff

AUSTIN WEATHER TODAY Jan. 24

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TOMORROW Jan. 25

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eddie gaspar | the daily texan file Apart from voting, another way Texans can influence the legislative process is by testifying before the state Legislature at the state Capitol.

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include roof and window replacements, followed by interior renovations of the south side, which is set to open in early 2020. Because the gym is a historic building, not many changes will be made to the exterior, Stewart said. “When dealing with historic buildings, we want to pay attention and do what we can to preserve the integrity of the building,” Stewart said. “Anna Hiss has been an important part of this campus for a long time.” Robotics faculty members worked with architects to redesign the gym so that it reflects their current and future needs, Stone said. “Our vision would be that it would be a very flexible and collaborative space, so there’s not a lot of permanent walls in the design,” Stone said. “As the research in robotics

evolves and changes over the years and new faculty members are hired and new projects begin and end, the space will be reconfigured.” Stone said another design objective was to let visitors view new robots projects while students are still conducting research. “We will have a lot of glassed-in walls so that people can be in the hallways and see research that is happening without necessarily having to come in and ask for specific demos,” Stone said. “It will be an always-visible lab.” Salman, an electrical engineering junior, said the space in the Anna Hiss Gym will give his organization much-needed indoor lab space with high ceilings to test their drone. “We have been pushing for (the Anna Hiss Gym) to be a spot ever since … electrical engineering moved out of it when the new building was built,” Salman said. “It is perfect for what we need.”

Civic Life. “There are certain things to keep in mind if you choose to do this,” Nold said. “Being respectful of (committee) members’ time, being pretty direct and getting to your point pretty quickly is something that they’ll appreciate. You also have to be truthful … If you’re asked a question and you don’t know the answer, I would not encourage someone to guess. I’d just say, ‘I don’t know.’” Including personal anecdotes in a testimony is a good way to make the argument more compelling, said Eshraghi who testified in favor of stricter gun laws following

the shooting at Santa Fe High School last year. “What I like to do is combine some sort of personal story with a statistic,” Eshraghi said. “That way, you’re kind of hitting both the logical side and also tugging at the heartstrings a little bit.” Eshraghi said it’s particularly important for students who care about an issue to testify on its behalf. “The reason I think it’s important to go — there are a lot of voices that show up, there a lot of people who care, but I think the thing that makes it stand out is that you are a student,” Eshraghi said. “When I showed up, me and my friends were the youngest people there, and that in itself kind of gets the attention of the committee.”

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CAMPUS

University Unions expands food truck schedule

samantha dorsica | the daily texan staff Kevin Vasquez, an engineering graduation student, grabs food at the Chilaquil food truck, which is now serving breakfast due to a new Student Government-led initiative.

By Nicole Stuessy @nicolestuessy

More breakfast options are now available on campus after University Unions expanded food truck hours starting Feb. 4. Food trucks now serve breakfast outside of Gregory Gym from 7-10 a.m. Monday-Thursday. Lisa Diaz, the program coordinator for University Unions, said they decided to offer breakfast services to give students another option to get food on campus. “We thought that students would appreciate having another option for breakfast,” Diaz said. “We are excited to bring

this to students.” Currently, three food trucks are listed to serve breakfast at Greg: Four Brothers, which serves Venezuelan food; Chilaquil, which serves Mexican food; and Mmmpanadas, which serves stuffed pastries. Breakfast hours are subject to change based on feedback, Diaz said. “We are offering the option to all of the food trucks that are currently approved already with the University to also participate and offer breakfast,”Diaz said. Food trucks began serving food on campus in April 2017 as part of a Student Government-led initiative. The trucks initially only operated from 11 a.m. to 3

CAMPUS

Guest lecturer speaks on African religion, Black Power Movement

dakota kern | the daily texan staff N. Fadeke Castor, an author, scholar and educator, visits UT on Monday, Feb. 11, to discuss her research, which is centered around African religions. Castor refers to her book, “Spiritual Citizenship,” to better explain the history of Trinidad and Tobago and the roots of her studies.

By Lexi Sanchez @lexixsanchez

Ifá, an African religion, is the 10th-largest religion in the world, said N. Fadeke Castor, who studies African diasporic religions. Castor, an author, scholar and educator, shared her experiences studying religions such as Ifá in a room filled with students, professors and other religious experts Monday afternoon. Castor has immersed herself in Trinidadian culture for over 20 years and has conducted field-based research on Afro-Trinidadian rituals and traditions for three years. Castor’s work has focused on African religions, specifically Ifá, which spread to America in the Atlantic Slave Trade and then to Trinidad and Tobago in the 1970s. This religious diffusion is often referred to as diaspora. Castor said there are many names for Ifá, widely known as Orisha, depending on where you are in the world, but they are all the same religion. “Somebody from Cuba can show up to Trinidad and go to Orisha and understand what

is going on.” Castor said. Although a person who practices Orisha could travel anywhere in the U.S. to go to an Orisha ritual, Castor told the audience that

I think it’s always good to expand your perspective. I have a bubble of experience I live in, and I want to change that.” SHELBY GHISELIN ENGLISH SENIOR

people would rather go to somewhere such as Nigeria because America is not often preferred by the Orisha circuit due to factors such as recent American elections and certain comments from American political leaders.

Linnea Andersson, a physics and international studies junior on exchange, said she was intrigued by the information Castor presented. “I attended this seminar in hopes of learning about the views of the rest of the world,” Andersson said. In Castor’s book, “Spiritual Citizenship,” she talks about the Black Power Movement in Trinidad and Tobago in the 1970s. This movement was largely influenced by the Civil Rights Movement in America. While researching how Ifá came to Trinidad, Castor was led to the historical Black Power Movement. This movement was important to the diffusion of Ifá because it empowered black people and gave them the opportunity to normalize Ifá practices in Trinidad, Castor said. English senior Shelby Ghiselin heard about this event from her Science, Magic, and Religion professor and attended in hopes of learning more about other practices across the world. “I think it’s always good to expand your perspective,” Ghiselin said. “I have a bubble of experience I live in, and I want to change that.”

p.m. during lunchtime, but later extended their hours to include late-night options. “Breakfast service is just the latest iteration in the food truck program, which began in spring 2017,” Diaz said. “The breakfast times will kind of vary each week depending on availability of the food trucks and demand. We are just kind of looking at both to meet the needs of everyone.” Chilaquil owner Orlando Aguirre said his food truck specializes in chilaquiles, a traditional dish from north-central Mexico. He said he hopes to introduce students to food they may not otherwise come across. “There’s people from

(Mexico), specifically, that love their food, and there’s those people who aren’t from that country that can have a little bit of that culture,” Aguirre said. “I think the best way to know a culture is by their food.” Kevin Vasquez, a chemical engineering graduate student, said he appreciates the variety of cultures the food trucks bring to campus. “I feel like we are losing so many restaurants on Guad that would bring diversity to our food options, and the only things that seem to stick around are really traditional eateries,” Vasquez said. “The food trucks spice up what is available on campus.”

LIZA ANDERSON EDITOR-IN-CHIEF @TEXANOPINION

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2019

COLUMN

512 Living is notorious, but is the criticism warranted? By Kateri David Columnist

helen brown

| the daily texan staff

Restrictions on Computer Science classes stunt department’s diversity By Ashvin Govil Columnist

Registration is often the most stressful time for students. We all know the feeling of really wanting to take a certain class, only to watch it fill up before our chance to register. For computer science students especially, this struggle is a way of life. Last week, The New York Times published an article examining the difficulties computer science students at universities such as UT face when registering for classes. At UT, this manifests in the form of required elective classes filling up before underclassmen can even register, leading to waitlists as long as 100 people. The article explains that the issue also further discourages underrepresented minorities and women from joining computer science. Unless the University expands its efforts to curb the registration problem, this issue will continue to fester and prevent improvements to diversity. Internally transferring into computer science at UT is notoriously hard for similar reasons. Since the department is already crowded, a transfer applicant’s chances are very slim without a high GPA. This means that the best path for most people to pursue a career in computer science at UT is to apply for the major when applying before their freshman year. Since women and minorities are less likely to have taken computer science classes in high school, this puts them at a disadvantage. Advertising senior Audrey McNay

experienced this problem at her allgirls high school, which did not offer AP computer science. Eventually, she was able to take the class as a senior by bussing to the affiliated all-boys school.

The inability to meet the increased demand (of computer science students) is further deterring diversity in the department.” “When I was applying to college, I was debating really hard between chemical engineering and computer science,” McNay said. “I ultimately decided to do Chemical Engineering over CS because I had taken two years of chemistry, but when I was applying to college, I was only a few weeks into my CS class.” The recent interest in computer science due to growing wages in the tech industry has exacerbated the problem. According to Bruce Porter, the associate chairman for academics for the Department of Computer Science, the number of students enrolled in computer science at UT has increased from 750 in 2009 to over 1,900 today. While demand for computer science has increased, the supply of

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.

professors to teach classes has not. The inability to meet the increased demand is further deterring diversity in the department. “It’s sort of treading water,” Porter said. “The country doesn’t produce (enough) professors. Our best luck was hiring about four professors in one year a few years ago, so it’s hard to hire our way out of this problem.” The leaders of the department face some tough decisions. According to Porter, they want to admit as many qualified students as possible without compromising the quality of their education by increasing class sizes like some other top computer science departments have. The only way to achieve both of these goals is to hire more faculty who can teach more classes. One possible solution is hiring more adjunct professors. Adjunct professors work on a more contractual basis than tenure-track professors and thus might be easier to hire, as they can work for the University without the expectation of long-term commitment. Porter agreed that focusing on hiring adjunct faculty could be an effective strategy. Unfortunately, the situation has not improved during my four years at UT. While I respect the efforts of the Department of Computer Science to reach out to minorities and cater to as many students as possible, the department needs to make serious changes to its recruiting strategy to enable minorities and women to break glass ceilings in the tech industry. Govil is a computer science and government senior from Austin.

GALLERY

yulissa chavez

| the daily texan staff

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.

Tucked near the bottom of 512 Living’s website is a small banner of rotating quotes, each featuring a snippet of glowing praise from reviews on Yelp and Craigslist. Of the three featured quotes, two were taken from Yelp — a bold choice for the property management company that has an overall rating of 1.5 stars. In terms of ratings, 512 Living isn’t an exceptional case. On Yelp, it’s not even the lowest-rated property management service operating out of West Campus. As weathered student renters know all too well, realty companies have a reputation for deceptive practices and taking advantage of students’ inexperience. 512 Living is, however, the lowest rated company relative to the number of reviews. I did some simple math, and found that when compared to nine other services on campus with similar ratings – between 1.5-2.5 stars – 512 had 133 more reviews on average. Accusations of sleazy practices abound in these reviews — accusations that can, in part, be explained away when considering the lease terms. As students, it’s easy to get swept up in reviews claiming wrongdoing. While we should consider these warnings, we must first read our leases thoroughly and then evaluate negative reviews in light of these terms.

As students, it’s easy to get swept up in reviews claiming wrongdoing. While we should consider these warnings, we must first read through our leases thoroughly.” I reached out to Rohan Sikdar, an aerospace engineering senior who gave 512 a one-star rating on Google reviews. Elaborating on accusations of unprofessionalism, Sikdar, who rented a unit in Plaza 38 during the 2017-2018 leasing season, said his realtor failed to inform him of the complex’s single utility meter. This meant that utilities had to be divided between the tenants according to each unit’s square footage. My first inclination was to be outraged by this revelation. How could a business with any conscience charge tenants in this seemingly arbitrary way? However, after doing a little research, I found that this is how Texas law requires 512 to divide its patrons’s utilities — something that is stated in the lease. But Sikdar also felt robbed of his security deposit, which was his main grievance. He said he complied with 512’s move-out guidelines, which require students to hire an approved maid service to clean the unit. Still, he was charged over $100 for “dust on fans.” “It’s kind of like double jeopardy,” said Sikdar, referring to the charges associated with moving out. Though Sikdar was eventually refunded in full, he was disappointed in the company’s original reasoning behind the charge and the lengthy process involved in repealing it. Daniel Herrera, a former tenant of District 53 — another property 512 manages — also complained that he was overcharged upon receiving his final move-out bill. Herrera sent me a copy of the itemized receipt, on which he was charged $25 for a “trash haul — 1 bag” and $17 for “1 heat lamp bulb replacement plus labor,” among other fees. At first glance, these charges seem absurd. On closer inspection, though, the high fees can be accounted for in labor rate, which is set to compensate the cleaning service 512 outsources. In an email statement, 512 Living said their goal is to “help all our residents understand the terms of their lease.” They claim to “own up and repair (mistakes) in a timely manner.” I don’t believe 512 is criminal. That being said, students should remain wary and keep an eye out for discrepancies. Document everything, get acquainted with your lease, learn about your rights as a tenant. If you still feel you’re being treated unfairly by property management, take advantage of the resources provided by the Austin Tenants Council — then rant on Yelp. David is an advertising sophomore from Allen.

RECYCLE | Please recycle this copy of The Daily Texan. Place the paper in one of the recycling bins on campus or back in the burnt-orange newsstand where you found it. EDITORIAL TWITTER | Follow The Daily Texan Editorial Board on Twitter (@TexanOpinion) and receive updates on our latest editorials and columns.

TIANA WOODARD & JORDYN ZITMAN LIFE&ARTS EDITORS @THEDAILYTEXAN

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2019

STUDENT LIFE

Collection exceeds 400 records Over 10 years, Michael West’s love for music brought him from having 5 records to more than 400, together worth nearly $13,000. By Landry Allred @l2ndry

ver a year’s worth of tuition in the form of records lies in Michael West’s home. For the past 10 years, architecture junior West has collected over 400 vinyl records ranging from Aerosmith to Manchester Orchestra. Now, he catalogs them through an online database. Although the collection currently resides with his family in Plano, Texas, he continues searching for records to fill his collection. courtesy of laura west, and reproduced with permission West began collecting around sixth grade when his father gave him a broken Architecture junior Michael West owns a unique collection of around 400 vinyls, and they’re worth almost $13,000. turntable. After West fixed it, his father gave him his first five records: two KISS properly and not played often, most can difficult to monitor his collection. This his collection. He said he didn’t want to records, two Beatles and Elton John. past summer, he started filing his col- stay in good condition up to 60 or 70 years. seem pretentious. From the beginning, West said he’s al“As far as the different audio formats, “I just like the way (records) sound and lection into the online database Discogs ways viewed his records as a collection. (records) are the most stable because the social aspect to it,” West said. “It’s and discovered his collection was worth “(Collecting records) was different, they’re made of vinyl,” Cunningham said. really fascinating that that’s how my dad especially in middle school when no- around $12,600. Eve Monsees, one of the owners at Anlistened to music. This wasn’t an option West said when he first told his parbody had money or collecting hobbies,” tone’s Record Shop, said records have be— it’s what you did.” ents the collection’s worth, they weren’t West said. come increasingly popular as more young As a student who pays for his own food too excited. Although people used to give him repeople want something tangible. and living expenses, West said he has “It hit them that somehow through 10 cords, he already owned most of them. “People starting to buy music for themconsidered selling his collection. HowNow, he purchases records himself local- years of my life, I came into over ten thouselves have the choice of streaming, which ever, he only would if it came down to ly or online. West organizes them alpha- sand dollars, and I spent it on music,” is easy and convenient,” Monsees said. necessity because he’s had the collection West said. betically by artist and release year and since he found interest in music. Owning records for a long time can “But they want to have something in their tries to find a complete discography for hands. If you’re going to have something “It’s a cool record of everything I’ve become problematic for preservation, each artist. tangible, you might as well have the real had throughout the years,” West said. but Sarah Cunningham, the Lyndon B. “If I get into a band, I pretty quickly Texasturn Student Media will keep you connected “There’s something cool about beJohnson Library’s audiovisual archi- deal and get a record.” around and want everything to do This increase in vinyl popularity is one ing able to look at it and go, ‘That’s my with daily links to the vist, said vinyl records aren’t too diffiwith that band,” Westnews, said. sports and culture reason West generally doesn’t talk about music taste.’ With over 400 records, West said it’s cult to preserve. As long as they’re stored stories shaping the UT community.

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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2019

MEN’S BASKETBALL

New mindset guides Texas

eddie gaspar | the daily texan file Head coach Shaka Smart coaches his players on the court during Texas’ 84-72 victory against the Baylor Bears on Feb. 6 at the Frank Erwin Center. Smart and the Longhorns are currently 6−5 in Big 12 play.

Longhorns look to use defensefirst approach in matchup against league leader Kansas State. By Robert Larkin @r_larkintexas

haka Smart painfully remembers the last time his team had a chance for a three-game win streak in conference play. Over a month ago, Texas was riding high after victories against Kansas State and West Virginia and entered a road matchup

against Oklahoma State brimming with confidence. The Longhorns proceeded to unfold on national television during the first half. They played with an inexplicable lack of energy that turned into a sloppy style of basketball. Texas turned the ball over nine times and did not make a single three despite taking nine attempts. While Smart’s team closed the gap late after trailing by as many as 19 points, Texas fell short in an uninspiring performance. “That was as disappointed as I’ve been in our team this year,” Smart said. Now, the Longhorns are flying high once again. Winners of 3 of its last 4 games, including back-to-back wins last week, Texas will face conference leader Kansas State with an opportunity to get to three consecutive Big 12 victories. This time, however, Smart believes his players are ready — guided by a better understanding for how difficult it is to play in a conference where

every team is capable of winning on any given night. “I do think our guys are in a better place in terms of humility when it comes to understanding whoever we play in this league, they’re capable of beating us, we’re capable of beating them,” Smart said. “It’s about us playing the game on our terms.” The turning point came two weeks ago after a humiliating defeat to Georgia that saw the Longhorns give up 98 points to the 104thranked scoring offense in all of college basketball. Disappointment in the effort swept throughout the Texas locker room after the game. In the practices since, the Longhorns have used the experience as motivation to correct their efforts on the defensive end. The change has been a big factor in their recent success. “In the past two weeks, we’ve been making efforts and practicing good habits on the defensive end trying to lock down and lock teams up,” guard Kerwin Roach II said. “(If) we just

keep doing that and go down and play our basketball on offense, we can beat anybody.” Changes like that are rooted in a sense of urgency that comes with being a team that lives on the NCAA tournament bubble. Smart tells his players to tune out the noise from tournament projections and what the media says about the team, but he knows his players are surrounded by it every day. That may not be bad for the Longhorns. Players on the roster believe they can still be the top team in this conference and they want to prove it. A win against the Big 12 leader Tuesday night would be a step in the right direction. “Right now, it’s crunch time,” guard Matt Coleman III said. “In the league, they talk about five teams, and we’re not one of them, so we know how important road wins are, how important home wins are. We just want to … grab all of those and compete with anyone because we’re capable of doing that.”

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Longhorns need to use resilience on the road against OSU By Donnavan Smoot @Dsmoot3D

The Longhorns have finally hit the home stretch of their season. After going on the road to beat Kansas on Saturday, Texas will make one more stop to play the Oklahoma State Cowgirls on Tuesday for the conclusion of their mini road trip. Texas comes into this game with the second-best record in the conference. A win would not only keep the Longhorns in that position, but also give them momentum going into a home matchup with Kansas State. The last time these two teams faced off,

Texas came out with a 60-51 win. They were able to overpower the Cowgirls and grab 47 rebounds. However, the Longhorns’ Achilles heel was once again exposed as they committed 25 turnovers. Since that matchup, which was the first in Big 12 play, the Longhorns have been 8–3. They have been favoring their young depth in the wake of key injuries. Also, this game should feature more of guard Audrey Warren, who made her return from injury against Kansas. “(She brings) a different level of energy,” head coach Karen Aston said. “She’s had quite a bit of experience. She gives us another body that values playing hard.”

Warren’s return adds a new dynamic for Texas while the Longhorns feel they are finding their stride in the back end of the season. “I think we still have a lot (of potential),” Aston said. “I do think the young guys have a lot to grow and to give our team.” The Longhorns are nearly undefeated away from the Frank Erwin Center, something that Aston feels is a direct reflection of the team’s makeup. “They’re pretty resilient,” Aston said. “They don’t ever get down. On the road, if you get down, sometimes somebody will stick that knife in and you have no prayer.” Oklahoma State will not only be

motivated to do exactly that against Texas, but it is necessary for the Cowgirls to get back above water. The Cowgirls are coming off a loss against Texas Tech, dropping them to 4–7 in the conference. One of the areas Oklahoma State will look to exploit is the perimeter defense of the Longhorns. The Cowgirls make the second-most threes in the Big 12 as opposed to the Longhorns, who are in the middle of the conference standings. The loss to Baylor dropped Texas to No. 15 in the national rankings, lower than Texas is accustomed to. Tuesday’s matchup could mark the start of its climb back up the standings.

joshua guenther | the daily texan file Head coach Karen Aston looks on from the sideline during the Longhorns’ 74-68 loss to the Baylor Bears on Feb. 4.

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Crossword

SUDOKUFORYOU 5

4 4 2 7 3 2 8 3 1 1 8 7 3 6 7 8 3 2 7 1 5 4 4 7 2 3 6 4 1 8

ey. This scurrvy beast is today’s answerrrrrr.

Today’s solution will appear here next issue

6 9 2 1 7 3 5 4 8

8 1 7 9 5 4 2 6 3

3 5 4 2 8 6 7 1 9

7 6 5 3 1 9 4 8 2

1 2 3 4 6 8 9 7 5

4 8 9 5 2 7 6 3 1

2 4 8 7 9 1 3 5 6

9 7 1 6 3 5 8 2 4

5 3 6 8 4 2 1 9 7

ACROSS 1 Baker’s dozen? 5 Wild feline 11 Path of the tip of a pendulum 14 Lacking vegetation 15 Marie ___ (women’s magazine) 16 “Gloria in excelsis ___” (carol chorus) 17 *Starting point, metaphorically 19 Equivalent of “Inc.” in the U.K. 20 7’6” N.B.A. star ___ Ming 21 Gossip 22 Outrage 23 Michael of “Batman” and “Birdman” 26 *Important part of a plane 28 Longtime weatherman of morning TV

30 Eastern “way” 31 Where a fishing boat ties up 32 Tidy 35 Fathers, as foals 39 Stars-and-stripes land 40 *A swimsuit might leave one 42 Electronica producer Brian 43 Sample 45 Cry made while taking a bow 46 Dame ___ Everage 47 Good rating for a bond 49 Ties, as a score 51 *Powerful object in “The Hobbit” 56 Baghdad residents 57 King Kong, for one 58 Old Palm smartphone 59 Critical hosp. wing

ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE C A B O A L E S P A T R A I P E T C O N E M D S P I T B T S A T P O T H O V E R P U T O E L R O S E A M

G A B E R A I L E Y M S O A T N C U R E G E T O S S R A E E N B O L E S S E E U T N P O C A N E

L E N N G E T D H N I I R E A N M U T S I S P

A B R A N O U G A T G E T E N W O R T A M F U J I T P I C M A T M R O T Y E M U D B R E A B A B O N C

T H O T H

K I T T D Y E

60 Low-I.Q. 61 What may be created using the answers to the six starred clues? 66 Musical Yoko 67 Played on the green 68 Mythological figure who takes a bow 69 Noted number on Downing Street 70 Parts of college applications 71 Like the part of a pool with a diving board DOWN 1 Recede gradually 2 With 51-Down, star of “Wonder Woman” 3 *Ill-defined situations 4 Long-term legislator 5 Abbr. in an email field 6 Portuguese greeting 7 Cozy accommodations for a traveler, informally 8 Counterpart of criminal 9 Where Noah’s Ark landed 10 Precedent setter in court 11 Off-script remark 12 Nostalgiaevoking, as fashion 13 Ancient handwritten volume

Edited by Will Shortz 1

28 32

30 33

26 29

19 21

No. 0108

49 54

50 56

PUZZLE BY FREDDIE CHENG

18 Loony

37 Ho-hum feeling

23 Done for

38 Detergents, e.g.

24 Form of Elizabeth

40 Opening strip on a package

54 Digs made of twigs

41 Blue race in “Avatar”

55 “___ go!”

29 Landlord’s income

44 Small bit

33 Doug Jones’s home: Abbr.

62 Heroine of “The Force Awakens”

48 Boeing rival

25 “99 Luftballons” singer 27 Pond carp

34 Best-selling detergent brand 36 *Moscow landmark

46 Passed, as laws 50 Rock’s Burdon or Clapton

53 Clunker of a car

63 YouTube revenue source

51 See 2-Down

64 Fish spawn

52 Offer a thought

65 Seasoning amt.

Online subscriptions: Today’s puzzle and more than 7,000 past puzzles, nytimes.com/crosswords ($39.95 a year). Read about and comment on each puzzle: nytimes.com/wordplay.

8 8

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2019

FORMER STUDENT

anthony mireles | the daily texan staff Former UT student Blake Takushi, 2nd row, right, now works for the creative advertising agency Nimaroh, as their production director after dropping out of the University last fall. Since then, he has worked on several projects for Lyft, Briggo, Redbull and TEDx as well as other small businesses in Texas.

Student drops UT for startup By Nikhil Agrawal @agrawan26

Former advertising major Blake Takushi spent his final semester at UT last fall before dropping out to join the new creative advertising agency, Nimaroh, as their production director. Iowa State graduates Teo Mefalopulos and Manas Chimpidi started Nimaroh in January 2018 as a design agency dedicated to graphic design and website development. Mefalopulos said he’s had an entrepreneurial itch his whole life, having started a custom T-shirt company and dabbled in mobile apps. “I flew into Austin in January 2018,” Mefalopulos said. “I was supposed to stay for a week, but then I had this moment where I thought Austin was the place to be, the place to start something. I called Manas and asked if he wanted to come to Austin and start this business. Four hours later, he calls me back and says, ‘I’m in.’ He was here literally the next day.” Since then, Nimaroh has grown to be the retainer “creative partner” for three businesses, as well

as the contractor for about six to seven companies per month. In recent months, Nimaroh expanded to provide social media management services, and with Takushi, photography and video production. Takushi has been doing videography since high school, freelancing with companies such as Cabo Villas and UGG. “I’ve been wanting to start something like this before I joined on,” Takushi said. “They told me what they were doing, and I knew I wanted to be a part of it. I shot a couple jobs with them, and then I started hanging out with them, and now they’re my best friends and business partners.” Through Nimaroh, Takushi has done work for several companies, including Lyft, Briggo, Redbull and TEDx, along with several smaller Texas-based companies. After initially joining in October, Takushi decided to drop out of UT to pursue his passion full-time. “We had this project in my creative advertising class: Make a promotional video for a company portraying their brand image,” Takushi said. “There was a choice of six clients, and one of them was Lyft. And

at the same time, I was actually shooting the Lyft video through Nimaroh and I was like, ‘What am I doing here?’ I’m going to make this video and my professor is going to give me a grade, and I’m going to make the same video for Lyft and they’re going to pay me.” Takushi’s faith in the company is matched by the clients it serves. Meagan Daugherty is a marketing associate for Briggo, one of Nimaroh’s largest clients. She said she is confident that the company has the potential to go far and has been impressed by their work to this point. “I could honestly see (Nimaroh) doing pretty much anything,” Daugherty said. “They mix this good vibe of professionalism with being young and hip. It helps that they are so in tune with what’s in right now, what’s trending. They always try to think outside the box.” The idea of leaving school might be terrifying to some, but Takushi doesn’t have any regrets. “I can pay my rent, I can eat, but it’s definitely a grind — we are a small startup,” Takushi said. “Eventually we hope to be the go-to marketing and advertising agency in Austin.”

UNIVERSITY

IRG students struggle to satisfy major’s study abroad requirement

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Despite budgeting and planning ahead, some students step onto the Forty Acres to find out they may need to invest thousands more into their degree than most other majors. While studying abroad offers many options to supplement students’ experiences, it is a requirement for International Relations and Global Studies (IRG) majors. Last year, 251 of the 4,421 total students that studied abroad were IRG majors, making IRG the largest group to go abroad, according to the 2017-2018 Impact Report. Because the study abroad office operates independently of the IRG department, IRG majors are evaluated equally to other students when applying, program coordinator and IRG liaison Julia Smith said. This puts added pressure on IRG majors to gain acceptance into their desired program. “Our denial rate is actually quite low because if you aren’t able to get into your first program, we’ll work to get you into your second choice program,” Smith said. If a student is denied from both choices, the office will work to find a better fit for the student along with an adviser, Smith said. Almost every program requires a $75 application fee. “If we have program that we have a lot of student interest in, we will try to increase our availability to send students there,” Smith said. “There are some programs where that’s just not possible, so we try to let our students know that.” IRG sophomore Nithure Rema said she didn’t know she was required to study

alekka hernandez

abroad until after she accepted admission. Rema said she feels limited in the programs available to her because her foreign language sequence is Bengali and her area of study is Asian. Her language courses have to be taken consecutively, so she cannot participate in a semester-long program. “It would be better if there were more programs geared toward IRG,” Rema said. “Sometimes I’m like, ‘Maybe I should’ve been a business major. Then I wouldn’t have to study abroad.” Rema said she had trouble finding a program because many of the Asian summer programs are geared toward STEM and business majors. IRG junior Katherine Velez said she also wasn’t aware of the study abroad requirement when she transferred from UT Arlington. “It is hard to have a requirement for you to graduate with (an IRG) degree,” Velez said. “(The study

| the daily texan staff

abroad requirement) makes it have more pressure because you only have four years and you don’t think about it your freshman year.” As a first-generation low-income student, Velez had to save up for a long time before she was accepted to study abroad in France for fall 2018. “I wouldn’t have gone if it weren’t for working a fulltime job over the summer,” Velez said. “I sold my car to go.” Velez said she knew other students who applied to the same program and scholarship as her and did not get acceptance for either. The study abroad office doesn’t prioritize IRG students because they have been able to meet their degree requirement despite competition, Smith said. “We look at where students (are) going and what they are studying to make decisions about what we are going to do in the future,” Smith said. “So in that sense we are a very day-to-day driven office.”