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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2019
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119,
109
issue
NEWS
OPINION
LIFE&ARTS
SPORTS
Students offering campus life advice on YouTube have gained popularity. PA G E 2
More males at UT need to realize the value of studying abroad. PA G E 4
UT student gives back to community after recovering from brain injury. PA G E 8
Texas faces off against Baylor in a Big 12 thriller with tournament hopes on the line. PA G E 6
UNIVERSITY
CAMPUS
Judge rules UT cannot revoke alumna’s Ph.D By Emily Hernandez @emilylhernandez
blaine young | the daily texan staff Civil engineering senior James Lentz, physics senior Jatin Konchady, mechanical engineering junior Ricardo Bowers and petroleum engineering senior Samaa Al Adawi created a proposal to add bike lanes to Speedway. The team’s proposal won Student Government’s Improve UT Challenge.
A safer Speedway for bikes, scooters
Students propose bike lane changes, winning Improve UT Challenge. By Nicole Stuessy @nicolestuessy
housands of students walk, bike and ride scooters along Speedway Mall to travel across campus during passing periods. “It’s unsafe, maybe even chaotic,” said Ricardo Bowers, director of Orange Bike Project. “I see people biking that are weaving in and out of pedestrians and now scooters are doing the same thing. It seems like it’s an accident waiting to happen.” Four students from the Orange Bike Project, a bike shop located in the 27th Street Parking Garage, and Campus Bike Alliance created a proposal to combat this traffic by adding bike lanes to Speedway Mall. Their proposal won Student Government’s Improve UT Challenge last Saturday and will now undergo further planning and discussion with SG and University officials, Bowers said. “We proposed plastic separations or plastic bollards that would separate the bikes from the people,” mechanical engineering junior Bowers said. “The breakdown of
the cost ended up being a little over $5,000, which is pretty standard for the city of Austin’s cost per mile for bike lanes.” James Lentz, president of the Campus Bike Alliance, said he has worked on the proposal for more than a year and submitted it for the Improve UT contest to help it gain traction. “I thought this would be more of a way to call attention to the fact that this is something that students want,” civil engineering senior Lentz said. “I’m very happy that we won because this means we have more resources to make it happen now.” While other, less crowded streets around campus have bike lanes, Lentz said the location of Speedway and lack of cars make it ideal for cyclists. “Speedway is in the middle of campus,” Lentz said. “Most classes that I have are on Speedway or just off of it, so it makes sense to make Speedway able to accommodate bikes and scooters a little more effectively.” Bobby Stone, director of Parking and Transportation Services,
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After many legal proceedings over a span of five years, District Judge Karin Crump ruled Feb. 11 the University does not have the authority to revoke a UT graduate’s degree. Suvi Orr graduated from UT in 2008 with a Ph.D. in chemistry. She was notified in 2012 that UT was investigating her dissertation for allegations of scientific misconduct. “I was ready to defend my research and my skills when I first heard about it,” Orr said. “I asked UT to provide fairness and transparency, but I quickly discovered that the process was inherently biased, especially when I heard the role that professor Martin was playing.” Chemistry professor Stephen Martin was Orr’s dissertation supervisor. In 2011, Orr said Martin asked her about publishing a portion of her research in peer-reviewed journal Organic Letters. Orr said she was not interested in publishing, but agreed when Martin and another postdoctoral researcher drafted the paper, and Martin told Orr her work had already been reproduced by the postdoctoral researcher. According to the American Chemical Society, the Organic Letters article was retracted in 2012 because two steps in the synthesis could not be reproduced. Martin then made the complaint against Orr for academic misconduct, and in 2014, UT informed Orr her degree would be revoked. Orr sued the University two days later, stating she was not given due process of law. UT restored her degree immediately and Orr’s lawsuit was dismissed. UT then initiated a disciplinary hearing for Orr in 2016 by forming a panel of undergraduate students to review her research. Orr sued UT again, saying UT could not revoke her degree based on review from students unfamiliar with complex doctoral work. Orr’s lawyers cited a 1969 Texas Attorney General opinion by Crawford Martin, which concluded that UT could not revoke the degree of a student, but instead must take the student to court. David Sergi, one of Orr’s lawyer’s, said such lawsuits allow students fair process in an unbiased environment, since universities may act to protect their own reputations. Orr’s other lawyer, Anita Kawaja, said Orr has still not been shown the issue with her data. However,
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UNIVERSITY
Trans students fight for easier University name change system By Mason Carroll @MasonCCarroll
When students apply to UT, they submit their preferred name to the University, however once they are admitted, their legal name is used in the directory and on class rosters. The Gender and Sexuality Center has been working to make it easier for transgender students to change their University name to their preferred name, said Liz Elsen, director of the center. Radio-television-film freshman Map Pesqueira met Elsen when he attended Lead UT, a day for admitted freshmen to explore the University. Elsen showed him the center’s resources and the Texas Name and Gender Marker Change Facebook group, which helped jumpstart legally changing his gender marker and name. “If it wasn’t for the group … I’m not sure it would have been as easy for me to get (my name changed) so quickly,” Pesqueira said. “That group is literally a lifesaver.” Because Pesqueira had his legal name changed before orientation, he was also able to get his UT name changed before school started. However, current students who want to change their names with the University, even if they applied with a preferred name, have to get it changed through an in-person appointment with the center. “If admissions already has that
information, I think they should be able to share it with the registrar’s office, and it should be an official part of their UT file,” Elsen said in an email. “It seems surprising to me that they then need to go through this extra step when UT already has that information.” UT does not have an option for students to add a preferred name with the University online, Elsen said. This differs from other Texas schools such as UT-Arlington, Texas Tech University, University of North Texas, Texas State University, UT-Dallas and University of Houston, which all offer an online option, Elsen said. Unlike other schools such as Columbia University and Texas Tech, Elsen said UT-Austin students are not able to use a preferred name on their diploma. Pesqueira said the option for students to change their UT name is important because it can be stressful worrying about professors calling them the wrong name. “Someone’s identity is everything to them, and the way they present themselves and the way other people perceive them,” Pesqueira said. “That can make or break someone’s day and how they are feeling.” Research by Stephen Russell, a human development and family sciences professor, found young people who could use their preferred names at work, school, with friends and at home experienced 71 percent fewer symptoms of depression, 34 percent fewer symptoms of suicidal ideation and a 65 percent decrease in
eddie gaspar | the daily texan staff Radio-television-film freshman Map Pesqueira changed his name prior to orientation and has been working with the Gender and Sexuality Center to simplify the process for the University to use a student’s preferred name.
attempted suicide compared to those who were not able to use their names. “Names are a central part of our identities — and are often gendered,” Russell said. “Using a preferred or new name is an important step for any person, and
the ability to use the name that matches the outward expression of our identity, is crucial for a positive sense of self.” Elsen said this issue is important because it’s the University’s job to support all students, including those who identify
as transgender and non-binary students. “UT lost one of our amazing trans students to suicide a few years ago, and I’m still feeling the loss,” Elsen said. “They deserve to have their names and pronouns respected.”
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CLAIRE ALLBRIGHT NEWS EDITOR @THEDAILYTEXAN
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2019
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ISSUE STAFF
Hotel for millennials set to replace Jack in the Box By Bonny Chu @bbbonny_
The rapidly changing stretch of Guadalupe Street bordering UT lost another building yesterday: the former Jack in the Box on 26th Street. The ongoing demolition of this fast-food chain restaurant, which closed in 2015, will set up grounds for a new Moxy Hotel, a boutique hotel targeting millennials. “Moxy hotels fully embrace modern fun-hunting travelers with its spirit and style,” said Mike Banas, director of communications and corporate affairs of hotel operator White Lodging, in an email. “Moxy’s creative brand identity aims to engage student, business and leisure travelers with a warm, thoughtful and playful guest experience.” The hotel, part of the Marriott brand, will occupy only .39 acres but will include 162 rooms, Banas said. It will also feature selfie stations complete with props in the
eddie gaspar | the daily texan staff After four years of being closed, the Jack In The Box on 26th and Guadalupe streets began its demolition midday Feb. 27. A Mariott-branded four-story hotel will soon take the Guadalupe location.
elevators, games in the lobby and an around-theclock bar, according to the hotel’s website. “The hotels offer a new way of traveling, which is smaller in concentration, yet not a reduction in experience,” Banas said in email. “The hotel will
cater to today’s free-spirited traveler who is looking for a hotel with friendly service and premium comforts in an environment that allows them to connect with relevant and authentic local experiences.” Once the former Jack in the Box is completely
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STATE
Is medical marijuana proceeding in Legislature?
Sports Reporters Abhishek Mukund, Marcus Krum
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AUSTIN WEATHER TODAY Feb. 28
Editors Note: A source has remained anonymous in this article to protect their identity. Medical marijuana has been proposed in the Texas Legislature in session after session, including the introduction of Senate Bill 90 by Sen. José Menéndez, D-San Antonio, in this session.
The bill, which expands the diseases that medical marijuana can legally treat, remains under review in the Health and Human Services Committee. So, when one of our readers asked us, “Is (medical marijuana) moving forward in the legislative session?” we looked into it as part of Curious Capitol, a series where we answer reader-submitted questions. Amongst other marijuana related legislation this session, SB 90 allows doctors
to treat more debilitating and chronic medical conditions such as cancer and post-traumatic stress disorder. Just before the 86th legislative session began, Sen. Menéndez said he wanted to restore doctor’s right to treat these conditions. “We’ll leave it up to the doctor to decide which patients need that particular medication and which ones don’t,” Menéndez said to the Texas Tribune. SB 90 was proposed two legislative sessions ago but made recent headway. On Jan. 18, SB 90 was referred to the Committee of Health and Human Services. Following review, committee chairwoman and Sen. Lois Kolkhorst, R-Brenham, will determine if the bill moves to be voted on the floor of the Senate. Sen. Kolkhorst declined to comment until after the hearing.
If the bill is approved, it moves to the Senate to be voted upon, where it could be thrown out or passed onto the House for the same process. The bill then potentially could end up on Gov. Greg Abbott’s desk in which he could approve, veto or ignore it. When medicinal marijuana-derived oils for epileptic use was first signed into law in 2015, Abbott said he would not continue to legalize marijuana for other uses in the state of Texas. “(I’m) convinced that Texas should not legalize marijuana, nor should Texas open the door for conventional marijuana to be used for medicinal purposes,” Abbott said in a statement in 2015. Heather Fazio, the director of Texans for Responsible Marijuana Policy, said this bill is more likely to pass now in the current political climate due to
greater access to information and a change in the perception of medical marijuana. “(Texans) no longer have to trust the misinformation and fear mongering we’ve heard coming from our own government for decades,” Fazio said. “They are thinking about the mom who’s giving her child (with) autism medical cannabis to help with behavior.” A UT student, who wished to remain anonymous due to their illegal activity, uses marijuana to treat their chronic back pain. If SB 90 passes, this student would apply to use medicinal marijuana legally but said they understand its drawbacks. “There is a lot of responsibility on the consumer,” the student said. “There’s a fine line between using it to help your back and abusing it and getting way too high.”
bikes
bicycles at all.” Because Speedway Mall intersects three pedestrian pathways, Stone said the addition of bike lanes would make the road less safe for pedestrians. “Students and others randomly cross Speedway, often looking at their devices or talking with friends,” Stone said. “It is not realistic to expect that they will pay close attention to cyclists. With no dedicated bike lane, riders must adjust their speed to the pedestrian density as planned.” However, Lentz said many pedestrians he spoke with are supportive of
the effort. “The people who probably were the most enthusiastic about it were the pedestrians,” Lentz said. “I think there’s frustration on all sides when it is crowded, and I think that’s part of the reason adding bike lanes would benefit everyone.” Bowers said he hopes the proposal opens a greater discussion of safety on campus. “The conversation about bike safety and pedestrian safety is ongoing,” Bowers said. “We don’t want this to be the final solution. This is just the beginning.”
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demolished, construction of the four-story hotel and its two-story underground garage will last 12 to 18 months, Banas said. However, some students who live near the site, such as chemistry senior Rachel Aaronson, said they are not looking forward to
the construction. “At all times of the day, there’s already a lot of construction, but this could make it even louder,” Centennial Condominiums resident Aaronson said. “It’s already annoying enough during rush hour when you can hear cars honking at each other near my building because it gets backed up here on the roads.” Business freshman Azreena Tejani said this could be a good lodging option for visitors to UT. “It could be nice for city visitors, business people and guest speakers who come talk on campus,” Tejani said. “They can stay closer to campus this way and don’t need to worry too much about commuting.” Moxy is not the only Marriott brand hotel undergoing construction in West Campus. An 11-story, 347-room hotel will open in fall 2019 in the place of a former McDonald’s in a lot on San Antonio Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.
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said in an email possible bike lanes were discussed prior to the renovation of Speedway Mall. “Bike consultants working with the landscape architectural firm decided there was no way to safely provide bike lanes considering there are thousands of students, staff, faculty and visitors walking across the mall at various points along the length of the area,” Stone said. “Many of the initial discussions surrounding Speedway centered on whether to allow
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Orr said the “fraction” of her research published in the article was insignificant in comparison to her full dissertation and would not have affected the conclusion if removed. Sergi said the postdoctoral student who reproduced Orr’s work was male and many of Martin’s research students have also cited Orr’s work and have not been questioned. “Professor Martin, in our opinions, seems to try to discourage women from pursuing advanced degrees in sciences, but that’s just our opinion,” Sergi said. Martin declined to comment because the investigation is ongoing. Sergi said Orr’s win provides an important precedent because it requires UT to give due process. “If you cross ways with
WE’RE HIRING!
| the daily texan staff
a professor and he or she decides to blame you for something … you now actually have robust protections,” Sergi said. The University plans to appeal Crump’s decision. “We’ve read the opinion, respectfully disagree with the holding and are currently planning to appeal,” Gary Susswein, UT chief communications officer for the office of the president, said in a statement. Orr said being involved in the litigation has been difficult, especially as she is a scientist, wife and mother of two young children. Additionally, her request for UT to pay her legal fees was denied by Crump. “I know (the lawsuits) were the only way I could be treated fairly,” Orr said. “There have been actually many women in the sciences who have reached out to me to show their support and share their experiences, and it means a lot to me that they did.”
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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2019
SYSTEM
UT’s future in digital degrees Department of computer science at UT opens new, online degree opportunity. By Savana Dunning @savanaish
T’s computer science department began accepting applications to its new, completely online masters degree program on Feb. 15. So far, it has received hundreds of applications, indicative of the growing number of college students enrolling in online classes. “What online education does is provide an additional path for people to access information when that on-campus option simply doesn’t work for them,” said Brent Winkelman, computer science department director. “It’s not either/or, it’s additive. As to the future of online education at this University, I do think it’s going to grow … significantly.” A recent report released by the International Council for Open and Distance Education, a network for online higher education providers, stated alternative digital credentials, such as certifications and degrees, are becoming increasingly important for institutions to provide in order to stay relevant in the digital age. Digital pathways to education provide institutions with large pools of students they would not otherwise have had room for, Winkelman
said. This is why, according to The Chronicle of Higher Education, some institutions providing online degrees and certificates have become mega-universities with massive online student populations. Colleges such as Arizona State University and Southern New Hampshire University are taking advantage of distance learning programs, whereas other higher education officials have been skeptical of the quality assurance and degree inflation of online degrees, according to Inside Higher Ed, a higher education media company. “For a long time a lot of the (hesitance) around online education was around ‘Can we maintain the high quality of education that this university has earned a reputation for providing?’ And … now that we have a vision for how to provide both accessibility and excellence, I think you’re going to see increasingly more people comfortable with the notion,” Winkelman said. Steven Leslie, UT System’s executive vice chancellor for academic affairs, said the UT System supports institutions growing their online offerings through an Online Education Task Force. “Online education is a critical tool for making a UT education attainable for as many qualified students as possible, many of whom represent ‘nontraditional’ populations, such as students who work full-time, are returning to college after a hiatus or who live in a location that makes commuting to a UT campus unrealistic,” Leslie said in a statement. UT-Austin has a handful of online degrees and certifications available: a master’s in nutrition, a master’s in mechanical engineering and now a master’s in computer
andrew choi
science, as well as approximately 13 online certificates. However, UT-Arlington currently has one of the largest online credential programs in the system with 32 degrees and certificates available online. Stephanie Lobo is currently working toward her Master of Social Work degree online
from UT-Arlington. Lobo said despite disadvantages, including lack of community and a need for self-discipline, she remains grateful for the opportunity provided by online programs and recommends them to nontraditional students. “If I didn’t have these online options, I wouldn’t have
| the daily texan staff
the opportunity to pursue my master’s so I’m really thankful for that, but I recognize there are things that are lacking online that you can get in person,” Lobo said. “I definitely recommend it for people, but if you can sacrifice a little bit and actually do it in person, I’d say it’s definitely better.”
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UT students offer unofficial admissions advice on YouTube By Laura Doan @ledoan17
Before her freshman year, marketing sophomore Julia Wezio made a YouTube video titled “How I got Into UT Austin Tips + Advice,” and today, Wezio’s video has over 33,000 views — more than any single video UT’s YouTube channel has made in about two years. Current and former students who offer insight into UT admissions and campus life have become popular, unofficial faces of the University to prospective students on YouTube. Marketing junior Lynette Adkins also reached thousands of views on videos covering topics such as the cost of attending UT and study abroad. Adkins said she is most proud of videos that discuss the experience she and her friends have had as black students at a predominantly
white institution. “The black population at UT is really only 5 percent right now, and so when you come and you tour and you’re researching the school, you don’t see a lot of what the black experience is really like,” Adkins said. “That’s the biggest thing I think I wanted to be able to touch on.” Kevin Martin, a former UT admissions counselor, started his channel “UT Admissions Guy” three years ago and offers application tips. He said in an email his advice is more unguarded than that offered by current admissions officers. “I think one reason these informal or unofficial channels … get traction is people are tired of official speak,” Martin said in email. “People crave a ‘tell me how it really is’ approach that you’ll never get from even the most transparent institutions.” Martin said his
videos are viewed mainly by high schoolers but also by high school parents and transfer students. Miguel Wasielewski, executive director of UT Admissions, said in an email the advice of current students is best when coupled with information provided by college representatives. Wezio, who watched YouTube videos from other UT students before applying, said she also thinks her success was partially driven by the authenticity of her content. “It’s not so much that UT is trying to hide something from you, but it’s more so that they have to use that official language,” Wezio said. “They have to keep a certain image. When you’re talking to a student who can share their unfiltered voice and be honest with you, I think they’re going to be more honest, obviously about the negative things, but a lot more honest with the positive things too.”
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LIZA ANDERSON EDITOR-IN-CHIEF @TEXANOPINION
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2019
COLUMN
IRG needs new study abroad petition process By Son Nguyen Columnist
I spent the most crucial stages of my cognitive development in Vietnam. I was raised there for 16 years and went to schools in two regions. As a United States Marine, I completed two overseas deployments. I am 25 years old and have spent 17 years abroad. No study abroad trip could have the same educational impact on me. Study abroad is a major requirement for the international relations and global studies program. If a student in the program does not want to study abroad, they can petition for an exemption — but the petitioning process is flawed. It does not sufficiently consider students with unique backgrounds or financial restrictions, and it depends almost entirely on the perspectives of a few administrators. The program must reform this process to ensure a fair assessment of each student’s situation and to accommodate more students. Professor Michael Anderson, the program director, said the process starts with the student talking to their academic adviser. Next, the adviser directs the student to Anderson for further evaluation. He then makes a recommendation to the senior associate dean of the College of Liberal Arts Academic Affairs. Officially, the dean has the final say in the outcome of a petition. In reality, their decision tends to follow the program director’s recommendation. “For these petitions, I think the dean has almost always been supportive of (my) recommendations,” said Anderson. More people need to be involved in the recommendation
phase of the petition process. International relations and global studies majors, like most other students, come from a variety of backgrounds and face different challenges throughout their time at UT. Their petitions must be considered by a diverse, authoritative body. This flawed system has caused some students to leave the program. I was one of them. Anderson denied my petition for exemption because my eighth grade education in Vietnam did not meet the program’s requirement — which demands a high school graduation. Additionally, he created
The program must reform this process to ensure a fair assessment of each student’s situation and to accommodate more students.” the impression that my military occupation and deployments did not give me enough educational exposure to the local communities. “For us, the study abroad requirement is about education, not just experience,” said Anderson. The program should exempt all military deployments and students with at least 10 years of living abroad. The off duty time veterans spend interacting with local communities during their deployment needs to be considered. An overseas deployment usually lasts longer than six months — longer than some
study abroad programs. The program should consult someone with a military background during the exemption process to better assess all aspects of deployment. Students with other special circumstances that make it harder for them to study abroad, such as financial hardship, should also be able to be exempt from the requirement. Nicholas Chan, a UT graduate, transferred out of the program because he could not afford to study abroad. “Realizing how much I would have to pay out of pocket for this experience, I withdrew myself from the Maymester program.” Chan wrote in an email. “The structure of the program seems to push out a huge population of students (who are) interested in the field but can’t afford to be a part of it.” International relations and global studies senior Kristen Jefferson had to take a break from school due to financial constraints caused by her study abroad trip. “(Studying abroad) constrains me financially to where I have been a senior for the past two years,” Jefferson said. “I’ve been paying, I think, the program fee still, and I just recently got off of it and (I’m) coming back (to UT) in the fall.” The current study abroad requirement does not take into account the experiences of low-income students and students with other special circumstances. The international relations and global studies program should fix the flawed petitioning process so its students can continue pursuing the major without feeling trapped by the study abroad requirement. Nguyen is a government senior from Vietnam.
COLUMN
Men at UT need to realize the value in studying abroad By David West Jr. Columnist
The gender gap between women and men studying abroad is staggering, as men are widely unrepresented in the statistics. Quite frankly, it’s time for men to pack their bags and follow the precedent set by women. In order to inspire change, study abroad coordinators must begin to pitch these opportunities to men by emphasizing the potential for financial gains through the skills acquired abroad. Over the course of the 2015–2016 academic school year, 3,763 UT students studied abroad, but only 41 percent were men. Nationally, only 32.7 percent of United States study abroad students during the 2016–2017 year were men, meaning an astonishing 67.3 percent were women. “Men are more afraid to fail,” said Devin Walker, director of global leadership for UT’s Division of Diversity and Community Engagement. “They’re not as comfortable being uncomfortable — studying abroad takes you out of your comfort zone and it takes control away from you.” Speaking from my own observations, men can be opposed to trying new things, and typically are very career driven and traditional. Men will continue to remotely consider studying abroad unless they are enlightened on the potential cash benefits of this opportunity. “We (as men) don’t prioritize
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.
study abroad as an economic achievement,” said Brandon Pegram, an acting junior who has traveled abroad to both Beijing, China and Cape Town, South Africa. “(Men) don’t talk about how studying abroad can progress careers and opportunities. (Men) look at it as just a trip.” To say the least, men have adopted a conventional perception on traveling abroad. While women attend colleges at a higher rate than men do worldwide, undoubtedly contributing to the significant gap between men and women studying abroad, there may also be some underlying factors at play. “A lot of the women I know are more motivated than the men that I know,” said biochemistry junior Brandon Okeke, who has also studied abroad in Beijing, China. “Women work together on their goals, whereas men work on their own or won’t talk about what they’re working on.” Additionally, Walker highlights, “women have to seek out more opportunities because we live in an inequitable and sexist environment.” I second this stance wholeheartedly — women tend to be more opportunistic and open-minded than men, and this is demonstrated by their willingness to study abroad. “Part of it is a deficiency amongst men, but part of it is also a positive amongst women due to women being more
assertive in going after (what they want),” said Walker. Men specifically need to adopt this open-minded mentality. Unquestionably, though, in addition to adjusting their perspective, finances are another pivotal factor in why men are not traveling abroad — but not so much in terms of paying for the trip itself. Right now, universities are taking the wrong approach when pitching study abroad to men specifically. In order to get more men to study abroad, international offices must shift the conversation to long-term financial gain. They must emphasize how traveling abroad can increase annual salaries through the skills developed as a result of being out of your comfort zone. No longer can we approach men with dialogue regarding life-changing experiences. Men are money-driven to a fault, and if the potential for money down the line is not communicated, men will continue to be less represented on study abroad trips. Study abroad opportunities must be marketed to men differently. “Men don’t apply because they don’t see the value in gaining cultural knowledge, because in most male’s minds that doesn’t make money or dollars,” Pegram said. You’ve heard it before — if it don’t make dollars, it don’t make sense. West Jr. is a journalism sophomore from New Orleans, Louisiana.
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ROSS BURKHART SPORTS EDITORS @TEXANSPORTS
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2019
SOFTBALL
BASEBALL
Longhorns fall to UTSA after disastrous fifth inning By CJ Vogel @CJVogelDT
There’s a saying in the hockey world that a 2–0 lead is the worst lead in sports. Well, the Texas baseball team may challenge that precept with one of their own — a 6-0 lead is the worst lead in sports. At least it was Wednesday night in the Longhorns’ 10-7 defeat by the UTSA Roadrunners at UFCU Disch-Falk Field. Texas led 6-0 heading into the fifth inning and held UTSA to just one hit on the evening before the flood gates opened. The fifth inning was nightmarishly bad for the Longhorns. It started with a fullcount walk and a weakly hit ball through the right side of the infield and before anyone had a clue, a rally was born. “It just came down to one inning,” Texas head coach David Pierce said. “It just started to unravel. When you have 11 free passes, you’re going to get beat, and that is what happened tonight.” The wheels on the Roadrunners rally machine began
to roll, and not too much later, the first eight Roadrunners reached home safely. Texas was engulfed in its own mistakes. After 70 pitches and four pitchers later, the Longhorns finally escaped the inning. But thanks to three hits, three walks and two errors, the 6-0 lead was only a thing in the past. The Roadrunners ended up scoring eight runs in the inning before Texas reliever Cole Quintanilla came in to record the final out. The life inside Disch-Falk Field turned eerily similar to the cemetery directly south of the stadium. Luckily for the Longhorns, the season is still young, and they’ll have plenty of chances to improve throughout the season. “There’s no silver lining here,” Pierce said. “But at the same time, it’s still early, and we’re still trying to figure some guys out.” There’s good news and bad news for the Longhorns following the loss. The good being they will have an opportunity to right the ship quickly with their next game coming Friday. The bad news
is that their next opponent is No. 1 LSU. For Texas, the best thing it can do is to wipe this defeat from memory and move on. “You never want to lose a game, especially a midweek game, or any game to an instate team,” said third baseman Ryan Reynolds, who collected three hits in the loss. “You can kind of take away some of the pros and then also some of the cons, but overall, I think it’s pretty good to put this one behind us and get ready for LSU.” Luckily for Texas, the bats will be ready when the Tigers come to town. On top of the 17 runs scored in the two weekday games leading up to the LSU series, the Longhorns have averaged over seven runs per game in their last seven outings dating back to the road game at Rice. Though the task of facing the No. 1 team in the country may seem daunting, Texas isn’t going to roll over. “Anyone can come in here and beat anyone in a given day in baseball,” Reynolds said. “So we gotta prepare every game like the opponent’s better.”
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Texas Student Media will keep you connected with daily links to the news, sports and culture stories shaping the UT community. anthony mireles | the daily texan staff Outfielder Tate Shaw swings for a ball over the plate during Texas’ 10-7 loss against the UTSA Road Runners on Feb. 27, 2019.
Explosive fifth inning shows Texas’ offensive prowess in blowout win
joshua guenther | the daily texan staff Catcher Mary Iakopo steps to the plate during Texas’ 8-0 win on Feb. 27, 2019.
By Marcus Krum @marcuskrum
With outfield walls about 15 feet high and more than 200 feet deep all around, Red & Charline McCombs Field has never been an easy place to display power. It may have taken an hour and a half of game play to show it, but in the fifth inning of Wednesday’s matchup with Houston Baptist, the Longhorns showed off all of their strength, hitting two home runs in the frame en route to an 8-0 victory. “I just wanted to see us be a little more aggressive with the at-bats,” Texas head coach Mike White said. “It was good to see … (catcher Mary Iakopo)’s one was well-hit and (outfielder Reagan Hathaway) has been hitting the ball hard all year.” The two home runs, a solo shot off the bat of Hathaway and a two-run smash from Iakopo, helped spark a sixrun, fifth-inning rally that ultimately sealed the win for the Longhorns. But in the first four innings, there wasn’t much going for the
Texas offense. “Sometimes, you get used to seeing a certain speed, and then when slower pitching comes in, it’s hard to adjust with your timing,” White said. “That’s what happened tonight. That’s why we were out in front of so many balls.” It took Hathaway’s homer to finally start the rally in the fifth inning. Iakopo’s came two batters later, and then the Longhorns piled it on, finishing off the game on a run-rule after the fifth. “We took a team deep breath and changed our approach,” Iakopo said. “That pitcher, you don’t have throw 68 (MPH) to get it by you. We just made our adjustments and passed the bat.” While it wasn’t easy in the early going, the first two runs Texas scored were textbook ways of manufacturing runs, something White has be intent on all season. In the first inning, Hathaway doubled, got to third on a sacrifice bunt, then made it home on a sacrifice fly. In the second, Miranda Elish battled on a 10-pitch at-bat to draw
a leadoff walk. She was moved to third on a double, then scored on a fielder’s choice ground ball up the middle. “That’s kind of our M-O, and that’s what I told the team early on,” White said. “We always try to do the basics first to get one run up … Getting those runs, using the fundamentals of the game, are huge.” In the circle, pitcher Ariana Adams is just the newest Longhorn pitcher to have an outstanding day. She threw four shutout innings in which she allowed just one hit, showing that she deserves a role in the crowded Texas rotation. “You’ve just got to be ready for your opportunity,” White said. “(Ariana) didn’t get to pitch much in the weekend because (pitcher Shealyn O’Leary) did so well. But you’ve just got to grab your opportunities.” The red-hot Texas team will carry a seven-game win streak into the Sun Devil Classic on Friday, where Wisconsin and No. 15 Arizona State await.
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ROSS BURKHART SPORTS EDITOR @TEXANSPORTS
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2019
MEN’S BASKETBALL
Texas-sized collapse in Waco
Baylor overcomes 19-point deficit in second half to stun Longhorns in overtime. By Robert Larkin @r_larkintexas
ACO — The entire Texas team walked to its locker room in disbelief. Some had tears in their eyes, other had sullen faces. After 45 dizzying minutes of basketball, there was one thought on every Texas players’ mind: How did that happen? Despite playing without its two seniors in Dylan Osetkowski and Kerwin Roach II, Texas built a 19-point lead against Baylor by playing a brand of basketball it has strived for all season. But in the final 10 minutes and in overtime, the Longhorns saw it all slip away, losing 84-83 to Baylor. “It’s just a heartbreaker,” Texas head coach Shaka Smart said. “Baylor deserves a lot of credit for the way they battled back.” For 30 minutes, the Longhorns looked invincible. They moved the ball well, played aggressively on offense and locked down the Bears on defense. The guards were outstanding too, with Jase Febres and Courtney Ramey putting on their strongest games of the entire season. No moment showed this better than a run in the final seven minutes of the first half when the only noise inside the arena was coming from the Texas bench as the Longhorns went on a 11-0 run that switched the entire tide of the game before halftime.
ryan lam | the daily texan staff Guard Jase Febres contests a jumpshot from a Kansas guard during the Longhorns’ win over the Jayhawks on Jan. 29, 2019, at the Frank Erwin Center.
“I think we did a great job of attacking and getting our shooters great shots (in the first half),” said Ramey, who had 15 first-half points. “My teammates just did a good job of putting me in a position to go out and attack and be myself.” After the break, Texas answered every time Baylor appeared to gain traction. The Bears hit a 3-pointer at the 16:59 mark, and the crowd finally rose to its feet. But Febres answered with a three shortly after. When the Bears went on a 6-0 run nearly midway through the second half, guard Matt Cole-
man III responded with a three of his own after Smart called a timeout. It seemed Texas was on track to answer the bell every time. But the Longhorns unfolded at the nine-minute mark. Baylor went scorching hot from behind the arc and corralled offensive rebounds, picking up 11 boards on the offensive glass and hitting six 3-pointers to erase the Longhorns’ lead. “The biggest obvious factor in the second half was the way they offensive rebounded,” Smart said. “We did a good job in the first half, but we were not able to grab hold of some of those
balls and Baylor did a good job of making us pay.” The Bears forced overtime, but Texas still looked primed to eek out a victory. A Kamaka Hepa three pushed the Longhorns to a six-point lead with 1:45 left in the game. But then the Baylor crowd rose to its feet and watched a familiar theme the Longhorns have displayed all season — falling short in close games. The Bears closed the gap with a three and an easy layup before forcing a traveling violation after the Longhorns had the ball with seven seconds left. Baylor’s Mario Kegler forced a foul on
a drive to the basket and sunk two free throws that proved to be the game-winners after a last-second three from Febres went long. This one, indeed, meant a little bit more. Smart moved up and down the sideline throughout the game to pump his team, and the Texas players ran with energy and aggression they haven’t shown before. It’s tough for a Longhorn team playing with tournament aspirations. “That one hurts,” forward Jaxson Hayes said. “I mean just knowing that all of our guys gave everything we had. That one was a crusher.”
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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 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 Thursday, February 28, 2019
Crossword ACROSS
37 British record label
1 First U.S. color TVs 5 Shooter’s need 8 Believers in oneness
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6 7
5 2
9 4 4 2 8 1 6 4 2 9 7 3 2 6 2 1 8 6 9
4 9 3 7 8 1 2 6 5
7 5 1 6 2 9 4 8 3
2 8 6 3 5 4 1 7 9
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1 7 9 5 4 2 6 3 8
6 4 8 9 3 7 5 2 1
5 1 2 4 7 3 8 9 6
9 3 4 1 6 8 7 5 2
8 6 7 2 9 5 3 1 4
63 Traffic enforcement device
29 Lacking a mate
66 Adoring looks seen 10 times in this puzzle’s grid
32 Fit for a queen
69 Curfew, maybe
34 Key
70 Lickety-split
26 Risk-free
R I V E T
S C A B S
S A D L Y
A T A L L
S T R O N G L E M A W A V E N
B A E P L S I V E E O F L Y E N A P E P W U P H E N D M E I T T S
R E T R A I N S M E E M A W
C R A Y O N S C A R R A C E
S H P A R N A D D N E G B U S A T E N N T T E E M N E U N X A I S T
O W I E
T A X R E T T A U C R N R A G T R T I A M N Y
2 Sing sentimentally 3 Work whose title character is buried alive
5 Rabblement 6 In a bad way 7 Annual spring occurrence 8 Instrument that opens Stravinsky’s “The Rite of Spring” 9 Homer’s path
E L K E E D L E T O N M A T E S
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K R E W E A L O N E
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10 “I bet!”
PUZZLE BY STU OCKMAN
11 To the stern
35 Ones pumped up for a race?
48 Sierra Nevada product
60 When doubled, a taunt
13 Several lines of music?
36 “That’s beyond me”
50 Side
61 South Asian living abroad
15 “Bonne ___!”
38 Dressed
21 “___ ever …”
39 Sam of R&B
24 Playfully roguish
40 Not know from ___ (be clueless about)
12 “Same here!”
ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE C L O D S
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4 Equipment in an ice cream shop
59 Calrissian of “Star Wars”
23 It can make an impression in correspondence
3
1 Guns
57 Call to reserve?
22 Raiding grp.
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No. 0124
DOWN
56 Clay, after conversion
20 Follower of “My country”
3 1 7 2 6 7 9
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53 ___ beetle
19 Professor to Harry Potter
9
73 Branch of Islam
50 Ottoman
18 Frame of reference
5
72 “Neato!”
44 Unlikely source of a Top 40 song
49 On the blue side, for short
17 One stuck abroad?
SUDOKUFORYOU
41 “I’m out”
46 Surrounds
16 Post-flood locale
1 14
45 Popular Greek dish
14 “Spamalot” lyricist
Today’s solution will appear here next issue
71 Revenue-raising measure
Edited by Will Shortz
25 Where photosynthesis occurs 27 ___-slipper (flower) 28 Commoners 29 Eight: Prefix 30 Wilt 31 Superserious 33 Grabs (onto)
42 Some deer 43 Closet-y smell 47 Freon, for one
51 “C’est magnifique!” 52 Competitor of Citizen 54 Standoffish 55 Iona College athletes 58 Cry after a hectic week
62 Org. for some inspectors 64 ___ Air, carrier to Taiwan 65 Supporting letter, informally 67 A Chaplin 68 Gossip
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.
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TIANA WOODARD & JORDYN ZITMAN LIFE & ARTS EDITORS @THEDAILYTEXAN
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2019
CITY
Trauma survivor inspires community UT senior uses experience with brain injury to relate to survivors. By Landry Allred @l2ndry
fter his accident, Austin Morgan wasn’t expected to live, yet today he is a part of a nonprofit for people just
like him. On July 6, 2014, neuroscience senior Morgan had a motocross accident, leaving him with a traumatic brain injury. Today, he serves on their social committee for the nonprofit Austin Neuro Connections, which facilitates community among brain injury survivors. Morgan said community is essential because it’s less visible among traumatic brain injury survivors. Following his injury, he said most patients in the hospital didn’t suffer from a brain injury so he couldn’t talk to someone with a similar experience. “You can’t reach out if there’s no one to reach out to,” Morgan said. “(Brain injury) puts you on your own island.” Ali Lofton founded Austin Neuro Connections in September after working at a post-acute brain injury rehabilitation center. She realized when brain-injured patients left rehab, most lacked the social support they previously had. “They’re feeling a lot more insecure about their own ‘deficits’ than anybody realizes,” Lofton said. “(These survivors) get lost in their heads and have trouble getting back into the community and interacting with people again.” Creating community is exactly what this organization aims to do through networking events for adult survivors and caregivers of brain injury held every month. They also have a private Facebook page and send monthly e-newsletters, including an educational piece about brain injuries. Morgan began as an intern at Team Luke Hope For Minds last semester and attended one of their support groups. While there, he met Lofton,
mckenzie bentley | the daily texan staff Neuroscience senior Austin Morgan, a traumatic brain injury survivor, aims to promote community between other people who share this experience.
who asked him to join the team at Austin Neuro Connections. Lofton said she immediately noticed his potential as a peer mentor. “He was super outgoing and confident,” Lofton said. “Those aren’t the most common personality traits you’ll find in someone post-brain injury, so he stuck out to me.” This same potential impressed Meeta Kothare, Morgan’s faculty mentor, last semester in Kothare’s social innovation practicum. She required her students to create ideas for a project with social impact in the Austin area. Kothare said Morgan amazed her because although pitching ideas was optional, Morgan shared his idea
of helping traumatic brain injury patients after telling his story. “To tell your story to a new class takes a lot of courage,” Kothare said. “He could be doing the bare minimum, but he’s pushing himself.” Morgan said his passion for this work became clear after visiting a traumatic brain injured patient when one of his therapists called him to the hospital. “I raced dirt bikes all my life, and that was my passion,” Morgan said. “(But) after working with that student, winning any race has not been close to the satisfaction I got from helping him.”
ART
Kothare said she is impressed with Morgan’s growth after his injury. “He’s taken what was an actual tragedy and made something potentially amazing out of it,” Kothare said. After his injury, Morgan said it helped him realize that recovery is a lifelong challenge. With this in mind, he said he aims to show survivors the light at the end of the tunnel. “I want to make a difference in so many lives because a brain injury is not fun. It sucks,” Morgan said. “However, people will be stuck in that mindset unless someone proves them wrong.”
STATE
Longhorns, Aggies unite for Reinstate the Rivalry campaign By Abby Hopkins @abbyhopkins_
george wunch | the daily texan staff Artist and instructor Justin Balleza, left, assists student and UT accounting professor Shuping Chen, right, with removing the painter’s tape surrounding the work that she has been creating under Balleza’s instruction.
Austin’s Canopy serves as oasis for arts, artists, public By Sandeep Bhakta @sandeep_bhakta
Canopy in East Austin has established itself as a creative, multimedia hub, fostering new connections between artists and the public. By converting and redesigning warehouse space into galleries and dozens of studios with open showings, Canopy has created an opportunity for creative thinkers to gather in a space designed to promote art and culture for scores of people. Organizations like Big Medium and studios like Keith Kreeger Studios and Atelier Dojo have been carefully established at Canopy to further the integration of art into the lives of Austinites. Christina Moser, designer for Big Medium, said the nonprofit organization represents the anchor for artists and the arts at Canopy. The organization managed the entire Canopy complex but now specifically manages the studios in building one. “We provide a platform for artists in the community to show their artwork,” Moser said. “We do the East and West Austin Studio Tours to help bridge the public with artists and their creative environments to open up a conversation of how people create.” Keith Kreeger, whose pottery studio has operated since Canopy’s inception, said he creates objects which people use on a daily basis to connect his art with the community. “If you’re making dinnerware for someone, if it’s for a restaurant or for someone’s house, it’s about that connection between people at a dining table and sharing a meal and sharing those objects,” Kreeger said. “Canopy and (its openness) allows me to show people that.” The location of Canopy has also allowed Kreeger to convey the meaning and specialty of his work to Austin as a whole. “The studio tour is a great way to show
that off because people from all over Austin from all walks of life come through,” Kreeger said. “That’s a special thing that happens at Canopy.” An additional Canopy studio works to bridge gaps between established creatives, emerging artists and individuals who are inexperienced with creating art. By offering courses taught by experienced, local instructors, Atelier Dojo is able to create an academy within Canopy’s walls that inspires imagination. UT contemporary studio art alumnus Justin Balleza, who graduated in spring 2009, now works as a cast drawing instructor and studio coordinator for Atelier Dojo. In a space covered in works created by both instructors and students, Balleza says the Dojo is the place where one trains their “way.” “There are different teachers teaching different ways, but we’re all speaking the same language,” Balleza said. “There’s room for everybody, and there’s room for everybody to be unique and different.” Balleza likens the atmosphere of Atelier Dojo to a sort of sanctuary. “The founders of this school have created this sanctuary where others can come, so we can connect everyone,” Balleza said. “Here, we have a strong network. There’s no doubt. We’re keeping the level high, but our atmosphere is light and comfortable.” Accounting professor Shuping Chen is also a student of the Dojo and takes classes from Balleza. It was through Canopy that Chen said she discovered an opportunity to explore art and focus on its importance. “Art is one of the few pure things that still exists in this world that we can pursue, that’s completely our own and untainted by materialistic obsessions,” Chen said. “It brings enjoyment, it brings relaxation, it brings focus.”
Justin Tucker’s 2011 kick secured a win for UT, marking the last memory of the intrastate rivalry between UT and Texas A&M. Eight years later, both sides are fighting for the game’s revival. The campaign, Reinstate the Rivalry, began in 2017 and is gaining momentum with support from current and former students, as well as school presidents and state representatives. UT alumnus Micky Wolf, who graduated in 2018, kickstarted the campaign as student body vice president. The rivalry game brings back Thanksgiving memories with his grandpa, Larry Golman, who he said gave him his “Longhorn blood” as a 1953 alumnus. “There’s nothing really like the University of Texas and Texas A&M competing,” Golman said. “That rivalry and that feeling between the schools and camaraderie is just a tremendous thing for the universities, their students, alumni and the whole state of Texas.” Current students are also voicing their support. 97 percent of UT students voted in favor of the game in 2017, and 89 percent of A&M students voted in favor last week. Finance sophomore Jake Greenberg has taken charge of the campaign as officer of Longhorn Athletics Agency. “There’s a real buzz around the state about this game being back,” Greenberg said. “It’s just working out the details. When this game is finally played, it will really bring the state together and unite us around something we all love, which is football, family and Thanksgiving.” Greenberg grew up a Longhorn but said the campaign has brought the two schools together. “Most of us haven’t met each other, but we’re all united by this common
passion to reinstate the rivalry, and something that’s been really amazing is how this movement has really formed,” Greenberg said. Greenberg has worked with Chipper Adams, a third-generation Aggie and campaign head for A&M. Adams said the game is important because of its history and impact on both schools’ traditions. “One of the things that we say around here a lot, is if something happens twice, it’s tradition, but it’s happened 118 times,” Adams said. “We’re missing out on this key part of that (Thanksgiving) experience in Texas.” The support is not only from current and former students. Both university presidents, Greg Fenves and Michael Young, voiced support. Gov. Greg Abbott also stated his willingness to work with State Rep. Lyle Larson, who has
actively sought action for the reinstatement. Greenberg and Adams met with Larson on Monday Feb. 25 to discuss their next steps and plans to build off the momentum of the votes and widespread conversation. “Larson views the legislation, not as a means to an end, but as a way to draw attention, and it did,” Greenberg said. From here, Greenberg said they are working with designers for T-shirts, meeting with Larson about logistics and working with important stakeholders on both sides. “I think this movement and this game are important because it unites the best that the state has to offer,” Greenberg said. “Even though this game is competitive and there have been some moments in the history that are tumultuous, this game and what it represents is so much more.”
chloe bertrand | the daily texan staff UT student body president Colton Becker, left, and finance sophomore Jake Greenber, an officer of Longhorn Athletics Agency, discuss bringing back the UT–A&M football game.