The Daily Texan 2019-02-19 by The Daily Texan

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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2019

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NEWS

OPINION

LIFE&ARTS

SPORTS

Construction along Dean Keeton and Guadalupe results in traffic, lane closures. PA G E 3

Students deserve more course credit hours for intense lab courses. PA G E 4

UT student talks designing celebrity trailers for ACL, Lollapalooza, Voodoo. PA G E 8

Littleton’s performance not enough in Longhorns’ loss to Kansas State. PA G E 6

CITY

102

CAMPUS

Students spill secrets, confessions

Performing Arts venues add metal detectors, clear bag rule By Lauren Grobe @LaurenGrobe

Texas Performing Arts increased the security at their venue entrances to include metal detectors, a new policy on bags and wands for security guards. The new security policy went into effect Oct. 22 at all Texas Performing Arts venues, including Bass Concert Hall, McCullough Theatre and Bates Recital Hall. The policy was instituted to match security at other locations on campus, such as athletic buildings, said Tara Vela, Texas Performing Arts managing director. “It becomes difficult when someone says, ‘I have a different experience when I go to this facility and I have this experience when I go to this facility,’ and we’re one entity located in the same space,” Vela said. Vela said a clear bag policy was implemented after guests were noncompliant with a limited bag size policy. “Change, obviously, is hard, and we spent a few years trying to educate people coming to our events and let them know we were starting to limit bag size,” Vela said. The new security also added metal detectors. Amita Srinivasan, co-director of Student Government’s disability and inclusion agency, said the detectors would affect disabled students such as those with cochlear implants, canes and wheelchairs. “The biggest concern is a wheelchair being able to fit through,” Srinivasan said. “I don’t know if the metal detectors are wide enough.” At Bass Concert Hall, the largest venue, Vela said guests can choose to enter through the accessibility entrance and be checked by a guard with a metal detector wand rather than going

SECURITY

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barbra daly

| the daily texan staff

Facebook group allows students to confide, share anonymously. By Bismarck D. Andino @BismarckAndino

UT Confessions, a Facebook page with more than 1,200 followers, provides students with a platform for posting anonymous “confessions.” Electrical engineering senior Jordan Newman founded the page last year. The UT online community submits their confessions via a Google Forms link. “I’ve always thought (the confessions) were fun, whether or not it’s

an arbitrary confession or if you’re trying to say something to someone and you don’t want them to know who you are,” Newman said. But students sometimes “confess” to having suicidal thoughts or struggles with depression. Computer science sophomore Eddith Krystal Figueroa, a follower of the page, said UT Confessions serves as a safe space to vent one’s feelings. However, Figueroa said it also leaves students feeling helpless when they see a post about someone experiencing a crisis.

“Mental health, in general, is just something people still struggle to talk about,” Figueroa said. “I think it’s easier for people to talk about it when there’s no face attached to it.” Newman said confessions about mental health were a challenge for the page because he did not know how to respond to them. The confessions concerned an administrator from UT’s Counseling and Mental Health Center, who advised Newman against

CONFESSIONS

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CAMPUS

UNIVERSITY

Seniors campaign for a ‘UT led by you’

Repairs to Marine Science Institute nearly complete

By Hannah Ortega @_hannahortega_

By Katie Balevic @KatelynBalevic

Finance seniors Camron Goodman and Amie Jean said they strive to make their campaign for student body president and vice president — which features the slogan “UT led by you” — one that belongs to their peers. “(We want) to make sure that everyone, every student, no matter who they are, where they come from, have a platform to have their voice and empower them to use it,” Goodman said. Goodman transferred to UT and said seeing the transfer student community’s underrepresentation influenced his presidential campaign and past positions. He helped establish

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eddie gaspar | the daily texan staff Finance seniors Amie Jean and Camron Goodman hope to win the student body presidency and vice presidency this coming election season. Upon noticing the lack of representation for transfer students, Goodman worked with and later became director of the Transfer Student Agency.

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Hurricane Harvey tore a roof clean off of a building at the University of Texas Marine Science Institute. Now, that building, along with several others, is nearly fully functional again. “It doesn’t feel like a construction zone anymore,” MSI communications coordinator Sally Palmer said. “It looks light-years better.” University spokesperson J.B. Bird said construction on the main administration building and labs is nearly finished and should be done by May. The total reconstruction cost is about $59.2 million, with funds coming from University insurance, FEMA, grants and

private donations. “We’ve had about three football fields worth of roofing that’s been replaced,” Bird said. “The restoration of the remaining buildings is about 90 percent complete.” The storm damaged all 74 buildings on campus, but most of the reconstruction plans are in progress, with 80 percent of repairs complete, Palmer said. “There’s a lot of front-loaded time in writing up new engineering plans,” Palmer said. “Most of the (pre-construction) has been finished, so that’s why I feel like we’re so far along.” Some of the final steps include reconstructing the research pier that goes out into the Gulf of Mexico and

MARINE

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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2019

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AUSTIN WEATHER TODAY Feb. 19

HI LO

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TOMORROW Feb. 20

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I’m always early. It’s funny, but it’s true, though.

amna ijaz | the daily texan staff The overcrowding taking place outside the ARCH community center for the homeless is pictured here on Monday afternoon. As the population grows in size, the Austin City Council aims to increase funding and resources for the homeless.

By Raul Rodriguez @RaulRod800

A new city council initiative aims to alleviate homelessness by increasing funding for homeless assistance programs. Homelessness in Travis County has increased since last year, according to a study by the Ending Community Homelessness Coalition. Last August, the Austin City Council agreed on a budget that allocates more funding for

c a m pa i g n continues from page

transfer student representatives in Student Government through the Transfer Student Agency, of which he later became director. He also won the position of University-Wide Representative last year. The duo said they want to create a Transfer and Non-Traditional Student Center and a Continuity Committee, which will be tasked with advancing past ideas. “It’ll be made from reps, so we’re not trying to create a whole new group, but reps that have a passion to see past projects carried forward,” Jean said. “We have great things that have happened on campus that students never know about because the whole (organization) turns over every spring.” Goodman said he also wants an initiative that would distinguish what training faculty members have received. These training tags could appear in a professor’s syllabus or during registration. “We wanted to create optional training tags, which

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posting confessions regarding mental health issues because doing so “could cause more harm than good,” Newman said. “But then (the administrator) actually rethought and said, ‘Maybe these are people who don’t have anyone else to tell, and this might be their only shot of getting help,’” Newman said. Marla Craig, associate director for clinical services at CMHC, said she was unaware of the page but is glad students are reaching out to get information and resources. “Our (message) is always to our students, ‘Please call us or walk on

homeless services. An increase in funding potentially means more support for programs that aim to help the homeless, said Kathie Tovo, District 9 council member. Tovo said the growing homeless population can be attributed to many families in Austin living paycheck to paycheck. “Housing costs are already taking a large percentage of their pay,” Tovo said. “For some families, if they get sick and they miss a couple days work, that can put them behind on

their bills.” The budget increase means allocating greater funding toward existing programs that focus on giving assistance to the homeless by helping them register for job and housing opportunities. Funding will go toward programs such as Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing, the Homeless Outreach Street Team and the Austin Resource Center for the Homeless, among others.

is a visible way that shows if professors or faculty members have (taken) certain types of sensitivity training, such as faculty diversity training or some of the Allyship workshops out of the Gender and Sexuality Center,” Goodman said. Last year, SG passed a resolution concerning optional sexual assault training for student organizations, and Goodman wants to see it followed through. The resolution supported not only the training but compilation of a list of student groups who participated. Jean said they would create a HornsLink stamp designating which organizations completed the training. The expansion of SURE Walk is also part of Goodman and Jean’s platform. Jean said she wants to make SURE Walk a resource for temporarily injured students, as she struggled to navigate campus when she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis as a sophomore. Along with their goals, Goodman and Jean said they want to hear from students. “At the end of the day, we want to make sure this campaign is everyone’s campaign,” Goodman said. “That’s UT led by you.”

over so that we can immediately figure out what’s going to be the next step,’” Craig said. “If they are needing to see a counselor immediately, the same day, we have counselors available so that we can further explore and understand what the student might be going through.” Newman has since passed on administrator roles for the page to someone else, whose identity Newman did not reveal. “That’s a big part of the mystique of the page,” Newman said. “The admin remains anonymous until they’re ready to give the page to someone new. I would imagine they will do exactly what I did, and just find someone they can trust to keep the secret and move on.”

“We provide showers and meals and free laundry and some storage, as well as resources for housing and how to find jobs,” said Greg McCormack, executive director of Front Steps, the nonprofit that runs the Austin Resource Center for the Homeless shelter. In addition to these initiatives, McCormack said the growing city and homeless population call for more homeless shelters. “The City really needs

to look at additional shelter, and possibly transitional housing beds, for people who are homeless,” McCormack said. “We need another center for services for the homeless.” Environmental science freshman Justin Louden has previously volunteered with the homeless and said he thinks student cooperation and funding is key. “The student body at UT is needed in volunteering, donating and advocating for the sake of the

homeless,” Louden said. “Funding for the homeless to help them find jobs, food and a home will help to better our community as a whole.” Tovo said students can get involved by volunteering with social service providers and donating to organizations helping the homeless. “For every individual there is a different story,” Tovo said. “Approaching the situation with compassion is, I think, part of how … we will be able to respond more.”

PHOTO CREDIT: TROLLING OLIVES PRODUCTIONS

Comic Artists Haley Barngrover, Kory Yang, Sophia Solomon, Laura Goruma, Leslie Tang

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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2019

CAMPUS

Construction, lane closures along Dean Keeton, Guad create dangerous conditions for cyclists

jamie powers | the daily texan staff Construction workers replace pipe outside the Student Services Building two weeks ago on Monday, Feb. 4th. Since then work has been done all along Dean Keeton, causing lane closures and heavy traffic.

By Nicole Stuessy @nicolestuessy

Construction on gas lines along Dean Keeton and Guadalupe has caused lane closures and changing traffic patterns since last summer. Texas Gas Service, a natural gas distribution company, has been working to replace natural gas lines as part of a planned enhancement project that is set to be completed later this year, said Christy Penders, public relations manager for Texas Gas Service. “Texas Gas Service is working on a planned enhancement project that includes the replacement of approximately

3,000 feet of distribution main pipe,” Penders said in an email. “This project will provide for continued safe, reliable natural gas service to our customers here in Austin, including The University of Texas.” While the construction is through Texas Gas Service, the company will consult UT Utilities and Energy Management for direction and guidance, said Leonard Friesenhahn, associate director for the division. “UT has underground infrastructure on both sides of Dean Keeton and below the street itself,” Friesenhahn said in an email. “We’ll maintain close communication with them throughout the project

to monitor progress and potential impacts to campus.” Because of this construction, traffic along Dean Keeton has been narrowed down to one lane and the bike lane on one side of the road is blocked off. Traffic is especially bad around 4-5 p.m., when most students go home, said theatre studies freshman Deja Criston. “Construction definitely gets in the way of traffic and makes it really inconvenient because sometimes traffic backs up pretty bad,” Criston said. “It seems really unnecessary at times because I don’t always see people working on the construction, so I don’t understand why

copyright sally palmer, and reproduced with permission BEFORE: The UT Marine Science Institute sustained nearly $60 million in damages from Hurricane Harvey. Since lab spaces and equipment were destroyed, students used labs at TAMU-Corpus Chrsti.

marine

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some other facilities, which should be completed by summer 2020, Palmer said. Sarah Douglas, marine science graduate student, said after the storm destroyed MSI lab spaces and equipment,

students were able to use labs at Texas A&M-Corpus Chrsti. Since MSI student housing was destroyed, Douglas and a few other graduate students temporarily lived in an apartment on North Padre Island — over 20 miles from Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and 30 miles from the MSI. “We set up on North Padre

Island, and then we would commute to Corpus Christi,” Douglas said. “After a few months … we were able to kind of move back to the MSI, but it was definitely three or four months kind of commuting between those two places before we were finally able to come back.” Douglas moved back into her renovated student housing in

the lane is closed.” To get around the closed-off bike lane, most cyclists will either ride in the flow of traffic or ride on the sidewalk, which is also narrowed from construction, said Hayley Bishop, vice president of the Campus Bike Alliance. “This is a real problem when there is a lot of traffic,” said Bishop, a chemical engineering and Plan II senior. “Because they have moved the traffic down to a single lane, cars will be lined up bumper to bumper, and that’s when riders have to go on the sidewalk. It is not only inconvenient, but it’s also dangerous for pedestrians.” Bishop said when she

encounters construction while cycling, she typically tries to take alternative routes to avoid it. “With Dean Keeton, there really aren’t any alternative routes,” Bishop said. “It’s not very feasible to ride on any roads parallel to Dean Keeton, so cyclists are kind of stuck.” As construction continues, Bishop said it would be helpful to see detour signs posted before the closed bike lane. “It would be really helpful if there were like detour directions, and kind of a headsup for cyclists,” Bishop said. “Because they haven’t put anything up, it kind of seems as though the cyclists are a complete afterthought.”

copyright sally palmer, and reproduced with permission AFTER: Construction on the main administration building and labs is nearly finished and should be done by May. The total reconstruction cost is about $59.2 million.

March, but her research is still on hold. “I feel like I’m still interrupted, honestly,” Douglas said. “The kind of work I do is chemistry, so we require a lot of big instruments, and they were all considered damaged by the storm … The new ones are sitting in boxes, but since we don’t have our final lab to set them

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through the main entrance. Caroline Graves, Disability Advocacy Student Coalition president, said this entrance may be hard for new guests to locate. “The only thing they have to mark that entrance is a

up in, we’ve been waiting to set them up.” Douglas said she hopes instruments will be set up next month when the permanent lab spaces are scheduled to be finished. As devastating as the hurricane was, it allowed the MSI to rebuild stronger and more prepared for severe storms,

Palmer said. “Any time we’ve gone back in to redo something that was damaged, we always ask ourselves, ‘Are we putting it back with something that’s resilient to the next storm?’” Palmer said. “If and when the next storm hits, we will be a lot stronger and our damages will be that much less.”

little piece of paper taped to the door,” government junior Graves said. Vela said the venues typically don’t have issues with accessibility, though the entrance has been moved to the far right set of doors. “It’s not in the same location it used to be in because it needs to be near to where the security team is and also close to our

ticket office,” Vela said. Graves said while finding the entrance was difficult, she was still satisfied with the access at Bass. “Overall, I have been pretty impressed … with Performing Arts,” Graves said. “Now having a clear bag policy, I feel like (the venues have) all the same security you would expect.”

check us out | the daily texan staff Art history graduate student Arianna Ray walks past the entrance of the Bass Concert Hall. Texas Performing Arts venues such as Bass have updated their security measures by adding metal detectors and a clear bag policy similar to the athletic buildings around campus. rachel olvera

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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2019

COLUMN

Rising scooter injuries demand more safety regulations By Ashvin Govil Columnist

zara huerta

| the daily texan staff

UT students deserve more credit for required lab courses By Julia Zaksek Columnist

You’re in your first lab. You sit through the one hour lecture and get ready for your experiment. The course listing, CH 204, promises the lab should take about an hour. You start your experiment, but quickly realize the tools you need aren’t there. You wait in line — a long line — to ask the only teaching assistant for a group of 20 students what to do. They gesture to another long line for the handful of tools available. You wait again. And again. And again. You emerge from the lab three hours later, exhausted, frustrated and heading home to write a long post-lab report. For most students pursuing degrees in the STEM fields, lab courses such as Chemistry 204 are required. These courses are designed to include a one-hour pre-lab lecture and a lab experiment. Considering most undergraduate lab courses such as Chemistry 204 award two hours of credit, students expect the experiment to last an additional hour. However, due to a lack of resources and instructors and the lengthy nature of labs, students are often in the lab for three to four hours, spending four to five hours on a

two-credit-hour course. UT’s current lab course system denies students the credit they deserve for their courses. Students’ transcripts do not reflect the work they devote to lab courses. Our time is valuable — UT must award students a greater number of credits for their lab courses. “The current credit system doesn’t reflect the amount of work I put in,” said Kavyaa Choudhary, Plan II and biology freshman. “It looks like (I’m) taking less hours than I actually am, like I’m doing less work and not pushing myself.” The current credit system can make obtaining a degree more difficult and time-consuming for STEM students. Students receive less credit for the course, making it look like they should be taking more classes. But the hours and work needed for lab courses mean taking additional classes is almost impossible. “I actually dropped a class because of the lab commitment,” neuroscience freshman Devika Patel said. “My lab is an important class that I absolutely have to take.” According to Patel, the labs take so long because of the intensity of the material and the limited amount of help and resources. “The issue is staffing and support,”

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.

Patel said. “For my last lab, everyone needed to use a balance. There were maybe 15-20 of us and only three balances. There was also only one teaching assistant. If I have a question, I have to wait. If I need to use a tool, I have to wait.” Because the College of Natural Sciences is the largest school at UT, with an undergraduate enrollment of over ten thousand, an increase in resource availability seems unlikely. Students will have to continue putting long hours into their lab courses. UT can compensate for the long hours — and limited resources — by awarding students more credit. Choudhary and Patel say that if more credit was offered for the course, they believe students would accept the time commitment. “Not getting the credit you deserve is frustrating,” Patel said. “Even three hours, the bare minimum, would be an improvement.” UT’s current credit system for lab courses is unfair and hurts STEM students. Students need to receive credit for the time they truly spend in class. Awarding a minimum of three transcript-recognized hours for lab courses is essential. Zaksek is a Plan II and women and gender studies freshman from Allen.

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.

The scooterpocalypse is here. Every block of UT and West Campus teems with scooters zipping across the streets or cluttering the sidewalks. According to City of Austin data, Austin riders took over 263,000 trips in January alone, with 65,000 starting at UT or its surrounding areas. The scooters provide a new tool for students to traverse UT’s large campus quickly, but they also pose new safety hazards to both riders and pedestrians. Earlier this month, UT student Mark Sands died from an accident while on a Lime scooter. Fox 7 Austin reported last December that Dell Seton Medical Center, the closest general hospital to UT, sees as many as 10 scooter injuries a day. Electric scooters pose a unique threat to safety due to their design. Scooters have small wheels, flimsy handling and only one hand brake that is prone to skidding or failure. When asked about the company’s efforts to promote safety, a Bird spokesperson provided an email statement detailing the company’s safety initiatives. Lime did not respond to a request for comment. The safety strategy of Bird and other companies appears limited in telling users basic safety rules. This is possibly because they would rather focus their resources on “growth hacking” their way into multi-billion dollar valuations than ensure their devices do not result in injuries or deaths. They check if riders have a driver’s license, tell people to wear helmets and provide some basic safety instructions on their app.

After asking if any students had been injured by a scooter on my personal Facebook, I received a flood of stories of injuries ranging from mild to severe.” However, riders often fail to follow even these basic instructions. Almost no one ever uses a helmet while riding scooters because of the impracticality of carrying a helmet around all day. Riders often go on sidewalks or break other rules such as only having one person on the scooter. Last December, while I was walking down a crowded sidewalk near the Trail of Lights, two people riding a single scooter, one of whom was under 18, almost ran into me. This is a clear violation of three rules at once that nearly led to an injury. Many students have experienced the danger of scooters firsthand on campus. After asking if any students had been injured by a scooter on my personal Facebook, I received a flood of stories of injuries ranging from mild to severe. Last October, computer science senior Harsh Goyal was riding down Red River Street when he noticed his scooter was going 19 mph despite the scooters’ internal 15 mph limit. The next thing he knew, he was on the ground in severe pain. “I almost passed out,” Goyal said. “I couldn’t raise my arms above my shoulder and walking was really hard that day. I ended up going to (the Student Services Building), and at that point they said they were getting two people per day with scooter injuries.” Shiv Akshar Yadavelli, a mathematics and physics senior, said he fractured his elbow after falling off a Lime scooter on Speedway. When he went to Seton hospital, the doctor told him they were thinking of categorizing scooter injuries as a national health hazard. Both students told me many scooters they encountered in the past had faulty brakes. Though UT has moved to prevent scooter accidents — UT’s Parking and Transportation Services recently issued new guidelines for riding scooters on campus, including an 8 mph speed limit — these measures are not enough to protect Austin riders and pedestrians. Scooter companies and the City of Austin should mirror UT’s steps towards scooter safety and take it a step further. Scooter companies need to ensure the scooters are well-maintained, and the City must place new regulations on the companies. Increased safety regulations can restore public trust and prevent further injuries and deaths. Govil is a computer science and government senior from Austin.

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.

TUEASDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2019

Q&A

All-female band discusses stereotypes, debut album By Maegan Kirby @mkirby_11

All-female band The Aces hope to convey a message of positivity and girl power as they embark on a headlining tour to promote their debut album When My Heart Felt Volcanic. The Aces are composed of bassist McKenna Petty, guitarist Katie Henderson, drummer Alisa Ramirez and lead vocalist and guitarist Cristal Ramirez. After touring with popular bands such as COIN last year, The Aces have sold out almost every venue on their “Waiting For You” tour. With a strong indie-pop presence and sense of sisterhood, the band wants to break away from negative assumptions about all-female bands and put on a show that leaves fans in a more positive state of mind. The Daily Texan had a chance to speak with sisters Alisa and Cristal Ramirez about their debut album and journey as a band before their Feb. 20 performance at Austin’s Historic Scoot Inn. The Daily Texan: What has the progression of your sound been like while producing your debut album? Alisa Ramirez: There was this whole journey of us trying a bunch of different sounds and trying to figure out what we wanted to sound like. And then once we kind of nailed it, we wrote one of the first songs where it just felt so right and it felt like the type of music we want to make. It’s when copyright alexander bortz, and reproduced with permission we wrote “Volcanic Love.” The Aces, an all-female indie-pop band, break down gender assumptions in the music industry as they perform their first headlining tour for That’s one of the first songs their debut album When My Heart Felt Volcanic. we wrote where we went home AR: Or the other side of it, artists who you looked up up listening to Mariah Car- the best time and a super from the studio that day and ey and Whitney Houston to or did you become the which is people assuming positive experience because we felt like something magical and Destiny’s Child. inspiration that you wished that all girl bands are these we like to think that we’ve had happened. DT: What do you want fans to cultivated a very positive enviDT: What negative con- thrashy, metal kind of ga- you had as a kid? AR: Honestly it’s kind of a mix get from this tour? ronment and group of people. notations and assump- rage-bandy type bands, when it reality (the term) “girl band” of both because when we were CR: I would say, from the tour, We’re always happy to hear tions have you faced as an is just kind of silly. Women younger, we were inspired by from people when they walk I just really want people to all-female group? Cristal Ramirez: There’s a neg- can come together and make some all-male bands and that walk away from the show feel- away from our show and say all types of music. made us excited and made ing like they just left the best they’ve made a lot of friends ative connotation of, “Oh a DT: Who were some of your us want to be the female ver- party ever. and they had a great time, and girl group? You guys are good Texas Student Media will keep you connected music inspirations grow- sion of these bands we were for a girl band,” and “You acAR: Yeah, like they’re on it’s really important to us to with daily links to the news, sports andingculture tually play your instruments?” cloud nine, like they just had up? Did you have female looking up to. We also grew maintain that.

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ROSS BURKHART SPORTS EDITOR @TEXANSPORTS

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2019

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

anthony mireles | the daily texan staff Guard Destiny Littleton drives past a Kansas State defender during the Longhorns’ 69-60 loss on Feb. 17 at the Frank Erwin Center. Littleton led all Texas scorers with 16 points against the Wildcats, but struggled in the second half.

Littleton’s game-high falls short By Donnavan Smoot @Dsmoot3D

For Destiny Littleton, Sunday’s game exposed her to both ends of the emotional spectrum. In the first half, she nearly couldn’t miss. In the second half, she couldn’t buy a basket. Her collapse mirrored the Longhorns’ as they were outscored by 10 in the fourth quarter and eventually lost, 69-60, in Texas’ second loss to Kansas State this season. The first half was Littleton’s time to shine. Players on both teams couldn’t find a rhythm except for Littleton. She started the game 3-for-3 from beyond the 3-point line. At halftime, she had 15 of Texas’ 26 points. Littleton, who had only started eight games prior to Sunday,

performed with poise and confidence that made it seem as if she were an everyday starter. Throughout the game, Littleton made plays to get the Longhorns out of a funk. One of the more important plays she made came in the third quarter. Texas was on a 5-0 run and finally getting separation. On the ensuing Kansas State possession, Littleton dove on the floor to save a loose ball, sparking a fast break that ended in a Danni Williams three. Williams’ shot increased the lead to double digits and was the first sign of freedom on the offensive end for the Longhorns. The second half was a different story for Littleton, though. “We’re in the second round of conference play and this is what happens,” Texas head coach Karen Aston said. “You get bogged

down because everyone is going to play your tendencies.” Just as her presence was felt in the first half, her lack of aggression and production was felt equally as much in the second quarter. “I’m not that type of player,” Littleton said. “I try to look for my teammates and get them involved because, at the end of the day, one cannot beat five.” In the final 20 minutes of play, Littleton had one point, a missed free throw and two missed 3-point attempts. “The game just kind of flowed that way,” Littleton said. “K-State punched us, and we were trying to get back into our flow.” Her second half resembled the first matchup with Kansas State, an 87-69 loss in Manhattan when Littleton had six points on 2-of7 shooting. The small contribution proved to be detrimental to

the Longhorns’ efforts back in January, an is again one month later at the Frank Erwin Center. “We had a better awareness of her,” Kansas State head coach Jeff Mittie said. “We went into halftime and said, ‘We need to cool No. 4 off.’ We were quicker to her at the arc and made her dribble it.” Despite Littleton being a non-factor on the offensive end, she felt the defensive side of the floor is where Texas lost the game. “We play more freely and not as tense,” Littleton said when asked about playing with the lead. “We did start to relax on the defensive end, and we just can’t do that.” Ultimately it came down to Littleton’s and the Longhorns’ inconsistencies on both sides of the floor that added another loss to their record — with five of those coming at home.

BASEBALL

After strong start to the season, Texas travels to Houston to face in-state foe By CJ Vogel @CJVogelDT

There is no looking back now. The ball is officially rolling for the 2019 Texas baseball season. Following a 2–1 series win over Louisiana, Texas head coach David Pierce’s squad heads to Houston on Tuesday for a meeting with Rice, continuing the opening slate of road games that encapsulates four games in six days for the Longhorns. Texas was able to ride strong pitching for its first two victories of the year. Pitcher Bryce Elder was named the Big 12 Pitcher of the Week on Monday for his performance in game one. The Longhorns’ bullpen also allowed just one run in seven innings of work in the game two victory that was highlighted by superb play from its freshmen. As for game three, the Ragin’ Cajuns were able to get to pitcher Coy Cobb early on and fend off any comeback attempts by the Longhorns, which included a bases-loaded threat in the top of the ninth inning. “Our guys continued to play, and it’s always tough when you win the first two (games) to get yourself ready to go for game three and want the game as bad as the home team that is 0–2,”

Pierce said. The freshmen arms were a big storyline heading into the beginning of this season, and there has been a plethora of appearances by guys making their Longhorn debut through just three games already. Pierce added that it is of immense importance moving forward that the young guys can find their stride and contribute at a clip that does not halt the success of the Texas program. “We’re going to have to grow them up quickly because they have good stuff,” Pierce said following the loss Sunday. “And they cannot be pitching off of the black and worried about contact because their stuff is right.” The meeting Tuesday will be the first between the two schools since 2017, when they met in a four-game series in which the teams split the series. There is reason to expect some of the newcomers will play a key role in the outcome of Tuesday’s game as well. With Rice having a natural field surface, Pierce made it a point to get the Longhorns some practice time on a grass field, something that has been very elusive to Texas having played on artificial turf all during fall practice at UFCU Disch-Falk Field. “We took Wednesday off so we could have the availability

anthony mireles | the daily texan file Head coach David Pierce sings the “Eyes of Texas” at the Longhorns’ Alumni Game on Feb. 3 at UFCU Disch-Falk Field. Texas will take on Rice on Tuesday after starting the season 2–1 against Louisiana.

to workout on Monday,” Pierce said. “We do need to get out on grass and dirt, and we have that opportunity. I believe we are going to be alright there.” Rice had the luxury of starting off the season at home as Rhode Island made the

trip south to face the Owls at Reckling Park. Rice took two of three from Rhode Island, including two games that went into extra innings. The Owls’ pitching allowed 11 runs in three games while producing 23 on the offensive

side of the ball. Rice is led by head coach Matt Bragga, who was hired in June to lead the program. Previously, Bragga had a coaching stint with Tennessee Tech, which produced the nation’s best offense in 2018 before having its season

ended in the regional round by none other than Pierce and the Longhorns. Bragga will have the opportunity to get his revenge when the Longhorns and Owls take the field for the first pitch at 7 p.m.

CLASS 7 7

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2019

The New York Times Syndication Sales Corporation 620 Eighth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10018 For Information Call: 1-800-972-3550 For Release Tuesday, February 19, 2019

Crossword ACROSS

49 With 57-Across, welcome comment at a 30 Some univ. bar #4 instructors 6 Acid’s opposite 52 Sounds of support 10 Eponymous scale 31 Friend of Harry in the Harry Potter inventor 53 Cousins of books mandolins 14 Skating gold 33 The Cardinals, on 54 Pestering people medalist Sonja scoreboards 56 Words before 15 Big farm workers “smoke” or “the 34 “Hang on!” 16 Country whose air” name can also be 35 Welcome 57 See 49-Across a full sentence comment at a bar 60 Dirt ball #3 17 Welcome 61 One coming to comment at a bar 39 “This is not ___” homecoming, #1 (warning to kids) maybe 19 Lead-in to bank 62 “The Burning 40 Cleverly and Giraffe” and “The ironically 20 “Ooh, ooh, let me Persistence of humorous look!” Memory” 41 Tina Fey’s “30 21 Cornered, as 63 Boy dolls Rock” role during a fox hunt 64 “Beg pardon!” 22 Milky birthstone 42 ___-1701 (U.S.S. 65 They might make Enterprise 23 Welcome lids difficult to registry) comment at a bar close #2 43 Often-forbidden things to worship 27 Actor George DOWN of TV’s “The 45 Caesar’s first 1 Women’s clothing stabber Goldbergs” chain since 1983 2 Do again, as a ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE radio bit 3 Let off the hook? T A P E R P A P A A B C S 4 Likewise I L L B E E D E N S L O T D O U B L E C H I N S I N E 5 Casual greetings Y E S O R T O K I N D A 6 Termites and M A G I C K I N G D O M drills T R E A D O N N O E N D 7 Pink-slip R O M P S E T A A R M 8 Maritime milieu A M P J U G H E A D T O E 9 Tolkien tree being P A L E L L E E E L S 10 Tiny opening? O R F E O G U E S S E S 11 Avenue between S A Y A F E W W O R D S Reading Railroad T U M M Y A U D I W O O and Chance A R E A D I S G U S T I N G 12 Poison-pen L A N D A C N E O W N E R letters E S T A B E T S N O O S E 13 Most sarcastic 1 Object of puppy love

SUDOKUFORYOU 1

7 1 9 8 6 4

3 7 3 9 2 4 6 6 5 4 3 7 8 9 6 5 1 7 4 8 2 9 4 7 5 3

Today’s solution will appear here next issue

1 9 3 2 7 5 4 8 6

4 6 8 1 9 3 7 2 5

2 7 5 4 8 6 3 9 1

5 4 9 6 1 7 8 3 2

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29 Underhanded sort

Edited by Will Shortz 1

No. 0115 9

28 31 35

29 32

30 33

42 49

45 51

54 58

46 52

PUZZLE BY SAMIUEL A. DONALDSON

18 ___ Talks 21 “Shame!” 24 Fashionable 25 Home of The Hague: Abbr. 26 Superman’s birth name 28 Wood in a fireplace 32 Change of locks? 34 Pointed headgear often pictured with stars and moons

35 Tabloid twosome 36 Manner of speaking 37 1982 film inspired by Pong 38 Big lighter brand 39 “Were you successful at all?”

47 French sweetheart 48 Make a judgment of 50 Rips to pieces 51 The Great Lakes’ ___ Locks 55 3:2 or 10:1, e.g.

43 Some digital chats, informally

57 Independent charity, for short

44 Holy councils

58 Spanish gold

46 How Solomon spoke

59 Clothing chain since 1969

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.

TIANA WOODARD & JORDYN ZITMAN LIFE & ARTS EDITORS @THEDAILYTEXAN

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2019

FEATURE

Student designs celebrity trailers

dakota kern | the daily texan staff Architecture junior Amber Pufal lands an internship incorporating her passion for music into her career. Pufal’s job includes designing trailers for headliners of festivals as big as Paul McCartney.

UT junior helps create trailers for headliners at ACL, Voodoo, Lollapalooza. By Landry Allred @l2ndry

ach year, famous artists such as Bruno Mars and Paul McCartney wait in their specially designed trailer before performing onstage. Little do they know, architecture junior Amber Pufal is one of the brains behind it. Since the fall of 2017, Pufal has helped design trailers for the headliners of major music festivals such as Austin City Limits Music Festival, Lollapalooza and Voodoo Music + Arts Experience. While working at

Austin-based Panacea Collective, the event production firm that provides her with such opportunities, Pufal creates proposals for clients. Her responsibilities include putting together mood boards for the event or headliner trailer. Pufal said her love for music and music festivals enhances her appreciation of seeing event production from behind the scenes. “I’ve only ever done festivals from the side of just going (to them), so being behind the scenes is cool to see it all be produced,” Pufal said. “Also, whenever you work on something for so long, it’s awesome to see it actually come to life.” She first heard about the job through a mutual friend. Lisa Hickey, one of Pufal’s bosses, said Pufal caught onto the job quickly because of how well she fit into the niche company. “(Her style) adds to the depth and breadth of what we do,” Hickey said. “She’s helped us get to a next level with certain clients in rendering out spaces in advance and helping them see it’s

more than just furniture.” Architecture professor Michael McCall taught Pufal last fall and said he wasn’t surprised she works at Panacea because of her skills in creative problem-solving. “(Pufal) was one of the best students I’ve had in my teaching,” McCall said. “(I appreciate) her ability to focus on whatever that problem-solving aspect of architecture is and make it into something that has the ability to be profound, meaningful and beautiful.” This intensive thinking with regard to design shows up daily in Pufal’s work. She said the job requires a lot of detail orientation. For instance, Paul McCartney’s trailer required some special provisions. “We had to make sure we had no suede, animal print, leather — stuff you would never think of,” Pufal said. The details vary depending on the artist, Pufal said. She has designed trailers for an artist who wanted lamps with only red bulbs and another who requested only white furniture. Pufal said the job can become

stressful when concepts get lost in translation or when artists’ requests don’t align with what Panacea has in stock. This past summer’s Lollapalooza showcased what challenges can arise; the team continued adding last-minute orders. “That was a huge challenge of just like, ‘Where does this go?’” Pufal said. “And we’re in the middle of the park, and we have no idea where any of this goes.” Despite these challenges, Pufal said she is grateful for the opportunity to pursue two of her passions simultaneously. Unique companies such as Panacea serve as the intersection between creative and technical fields. Pufal said although her passions appear separate on the surface level, similarities emerge when they are broken down. “Design, music and art — all of those genres of the art world — they all intermingle at one point or another,” Pufal said. “It’s important to recognize that so we can work together even though we’re defined by separate fields.”

FILM

Film reviews have varying effects on moviegoers By Noah Levine @ZProductionz

Moviegoers often take into account reviews before seeing a film, but for some it may not have that big of an effect. Critics have served as gatekeepers of the movie industry for decades. Gone are the days when trailers were the sole factor in the decision to see a film. Various genres of film place different emphasis on reviews. Horror fans may award little consideration to reviews due to the subjectivity of what is considered “scary” or effective, while drama fans might prefer deep critical analysis and critique. When it comes to film reviews, certain people seek opinions only for films of specific genres. Jazmyn Bencik, a member of the Austin Horror Society, said she will only take reviews into account for specific films. “If it’s something that’s more serious, like ‘Slumdog Millionaire,’ I tend to kind of read over reviews, maybe see what it’s a little bit about,” Bencik said. “I love horror movies, I love musicals, I love stupid Will Ferrell comedies. I don’t really care what the critics say when it comes to that.” Many believe certain critics are biased when it comes to specific genres, which can lead to a general public distrust of their opinions. Chemical engineering senior Jacob Stehsel said critics often downplay the horror and comedy genres. “Those two (genres) are just very subjective (because of) what you find scary or funny,” Stehsel said. “Sometimes there are (movies) that critics are enjoying but audiences absolutely hated.” Another reason fans may ignore

critical reception is the crew attached to the film. Stehsel said he will see a film regardless of critical reception if reliable artists are involved. “If it’s a director I like or actors I enjoy — screenwriters … like Tarantino and David Fincher — I tend to go watch those regardless of what critics say,” Stehsel said. As online critic communities become more prevalent, some believe the business aspect can skew opinions. Bob White, a theatre and dramatic arts graduate from Howard Payne University, said when money is involved, he has doubts about credibility. “I agree with (prescreening for general audiences) because then you’re getting word from real people, not from people who are paid to give their word,” White said. “When there’s money involved, there’s always a bend.” Although reviews tend to sway people away from theaters, some end up watching the film regardless. Josh Atkins, an army veteran and avid film fan, said reviews often turn him off from a film only temporarily. “There’s the off chance that you won’t agree with them, so I don’t take their word for it 100 percent of the time,” Atkins said. Overall, the movie industry has only garnered more attention through critics and press. Its objective value varies among genres, as does patrons’ level of consideration. Atkins said the experience of seeing a movie will always be a valuable part of life despite reviews. “It’s a way to escape a daily routine of life,” Atkins said. “We all have all these obligations and things we have to do every day.” steph sonik

| the daily texan staff