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Sixty-four years after the first black student was admitted to the University of Texas, the landscape of civil rights has changed significantly. As we approach the 50th Anniversary of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, questions of equality are still of paramount importance on and off campus.
First black Longhorns share struggle
The path to desegregation at Texas
By Leila Ruiz
By Leila Ruiz
Leon Holland could live in the dorms but was not allowed to eat in any cafeterias. Holland could attend classes but could not take part in nearly any student organizations. He could cheer for his school’s football team but could not expect to see any athletes who looked like him. In the fall of 1956, Holland was a member of the first black undergraduate class allowed into the University. Today, Holland is a proud member of the Precursors, a group of some of the first black students to attend and
Although the Civil Rights Act was signed into law in 1964, full integration of Texas universities was still elusive well into Jimmy Carter’s presidential term. In February 1978, Joseph Califano, then U.S. secretary of health, education and welfare, announced plans to conduct reviews in several states’ higher education systems that had practiced segregation in spite of the Civil Rights Act. The review lasted for nearly three years, with a conclusion of noncompliance released
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Pu Ying Huang / Daily Texan Staff
Leon Holland and his wife Peggy hold up a picture of Leon with Peggy and his mother at his first military commission.
integrate the University. Lonnie Fogle, the current president of the Precursors, said the
organization was originally an
PRECURSORS page 2
January 15, 1981 — the last week of Carter’s administration — in a letter that Cynthia Brown, assistant secretary for civil rights, wrote to Texas Attorney General Mark White. “[Texas] has failed to eliminate the vestiges of its former de jure racially dual system of public higher education,” Brown declared in the letter. After 30 months of negotiations and several court orders, White encouraged Texas universities to voluntarily follow a desegregation plan by recruiting more African-American and Latino students.
Texas Assistant Attorney General Jim Todd said the Office of Civil Rights was created primarily to handle investigations into Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color or national origin for any program receiving federal financial aid. “The Office of Civil Rights investigates, and they have the authority to do one of two things: They can cut off federal funds, or they can recommend someone to the justice department,” Todd said.
INTEGRATION page 2
CAMPUS
CITY
Mind over body: zero training, 50-mile run
SXSW victims to receive funds
By Garrett Callahan @CallahanGarrett
Last spring break, in a lastminute decision, mechanical engineering senior Steve Guillen packed a backpack, grabbed his helmet and biked 738 miles east to Destin, Fla. He had no plans and no set accommodations, just the will to challenge himself. After getting kicked off highways and even enduring an upper respiratory infection, Guillen completed his journey in eight days. Now, more than a year later, he has decided to up the ante. While most other college students will spend their Saturdays on the coach, Guillen will spend his attempting to run the 50-mile Hells Hills Endurance Trail Run in Smithville. Guillen will complete his new “unthinkable challenge,” as he puts it, with no
training, His only motivation is the desire to question and challenge his own perceived limits. “Most of the time there is nothing real stopping people from doing what they want to do,” Guillen said. “It’s perceived. They make up all these excuses. For me, I always wanted to run one of these ultramarathons, so I asked myself, ‘Why am I not doing it?’ There’s not going to be a better time to do it. The time is now.” While he has juggled the idea in his mind for quite some time, Guillen didn’t decide to participate in the run until a week ago. It was another last-minute decision, but this time he is doing it for charity and as an experiment. Guillen is attempting to raise 50 bitcoins for the Texas
BITCOIN page 7
By Julia Brouillette @juliakbrou
In the weeks after a suspected drunk driver plowed through a crowd of people at South By Southwest on March 13, service organizations have been left to decide how to distribute more than $180,000 in funds raised to assist victims and their families. The Austin Police Department’s Victim Services Division, the Austin Community Foundation and the American Red Cross are working to evaluate the expenses of more than a dozen victims, whose injuries ranged from mild to critical. “We’re assessing other needs they may have beyond what Crime Victims’ Compensation will cover or what their own insurance will cover,” said Kachina Clark, manager of APD Victim Services. “We are working with the Austin Community
Shelby Tauber / Daily Texan file photo
Police block the roads after the SXSW accident March 13. Service organizations have been left to decide how to distribute more than $180,000 raised to assist victims and their families.
Foundation and the Red Cross because they have experience dealing with large-scale incidents and distribution of funds that are raised.”
The organizations will grant victims a portion of the funds based on their personal needs and available resources, Clark said.
NEWS
OPINION
SPORTS
LIFE&ARTS
ONLINE
While the city works to combat a rising population with various initatives, traffic is set to get even worse in Austin. PAGE 3
We asked: Will you attend the Civil Rights Summit? PAGE 4
Texas seeks to shed .500 conference record. PAGE 7
Concert Crawl takes music students out of the theater. PAGE 8
“Black Graduation” can have its downsides. PAGE 4
Track and Field set for Stanford Invitational. PAGE 7
A UT student competes in Triple Threat comedy show. PAGE 8
Watch three teams of journalists race across MoPac, Lamar and I-35 during rush hour. See who wins at dailytexanonline.com
“We’ll have to come up with some additional guidelines for distribution, but
SXSW page 5 REASON TO PARTY
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Friday, April 4, 2014
INTEGRATION
FRAMES featured photo
continues from page 1
Volume 114, Issue 134
CONTACT US Main Telephone (512) 471-4591 Editor-in-Chief Laura Wright (512) 232-2212 editor@dailytexanonline.com Managing Editor Shabab Siddiqui (512) 232-2217 managingeditor@ dailytexanonline.com News Office (512) 232-2207 news@dailytexanonline.com Multimedia Office (512) 471-7835 dailytexanmultimedia@ gmail.com Sports Office (512) 232-2210 sports@dailytexanonline.com Life & Arts Office (512) 232-2209 dtlifeandarts@gmail.com
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People attend the Turkish Spring Festival on the Main Mall on Thursday afternoon.
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The Texan strives to present all information fairly, accurately and completely. If we have made an error, let us know about it. Call (512) 232-2217 or e-mail managingeditor@ dailytexanonline.com.
COPYRIGHT Copyright 2013 Texas Student Media. All articles, photographs and graphics, both in the print and online editions, are the property of Texas Student Media and may not be reproduced or republished in part or in whole without written permission.
TOMORROW’S WEATHER Low High
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We didn’t call him that!
The continuation of civil rights issues on campus during Bill Clinton’s tenure as president revolved around the struggle to memorialize two key figures within the black community, and included new conversations about LGBTQ rights. The Malcolm X Lounge, located in Jester Center, started out in the late 1980s as an informal space where black students could socialize, study or just play music. Choquette Hamilton, associate director of development for the department of African and African diaspora studies, said there were difficulties in maintaining the space for
PRECURSORS continues from page 1
old group of alumni friends who used to gather for the Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays, informally calling themselves The Dudes. They changed the
This issue of The Daily Texan is valued at $1.25 Permanent Staff
Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Laura Wright Associate Editors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Christine Ayala, Riley Brands, Amil Malik, Eric Nikolaides Managing Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Shabab Siddiqui Associate Managing Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Elisabeth Dillon News Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jordan Rudner Associate News Editors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Antonia Gales, Anthony Green, Jacob Kerr, Pete Stroud, Amanda Voeller Senior Reporters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Julia Brouillette, Nicole Cobler, Alyssa Mahoney, Madlin Mekelburg Copy Desk Chief . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sara Reinsch Associate Copy Desk Chiefs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Brett Michaels Donohoe, Reeana Keenen, Kevin Sharifi Design Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jack Mitts Senior Designers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hirrah Barlas, Bria Benjamin, Alex Dolan, Omar Longoria Multimedia Editors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Charlie Pearce, Alec Wyman Associate Photo Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Sam Ortega Senior Photographers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jonathan Garza, Shweta Gulati, Pu Ying Huang, Shelby Tauber, Lauren Ussery Senior Videographers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Jackie Kuenstler, Dan Resler, Bryce Seifert Life&Arts Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hannah Smothers Associate Life&Arts Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lauren L’Amie Senior Life&Arts Writers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Eleanor Dearman, Kritika Kulshrestha, David Sackllah, Alex Williams Sports Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Stefan Scrafield Associate Sports Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chris Hummer Senior Sports Writers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Evan Berkowitz, Garrett Callahan, Jori Epstein, Matt Warden Comics Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . John Massingill Associate Comics Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hannah Hadidi Roommate to the Comics Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Riki Tsuji Senior Comics Artists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cody Bubenik, Ploy Buraparate, Connor Murphy, Aaron Rodriguez, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Stephanie Vanicek Director of Technical Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Jeremy Hintz Associate Director of Technical Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sarah Stancik Senior Technical Staff. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jack Shen, Roy Varney Special Ventures Co-editors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bobby Blanchard, Chris Hummer Online Outreach Coordinator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fred Tally-Foos Journalism Adviser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Michael Brick
Issue Staff Reporters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Justin Atkinson, Nicole Bueno, Leila Ruiz Multimedia. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Helen Fernandez, Jenna VonHofe, Amy Zhang Sports Writers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Daniel Clay, Grant Gordon, Caroline Hall, Scarlett Smith Copy Editors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Taiki Miki, Cameron Peterson, Claire Yun Comics Artists . . . . . . . . . . . .Shannon Butler, Alyssa Creagh, Marty Eischeid, Albert Lee, Nicole Ourso, Isabella Palacios, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Anna Pederson, Lindsay Rojas Life&Arts Writers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Carmen Rising
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black students. “It just so happened that a resident assistant’s dorm was adjacent to this area, and she made a lot of complaints about noise,” Hamilton said. “In spring 1993, it was converted into a general study lounge, so it was taken away from black students, and that led to protests and sit-ins at the lounge. Even though there were protests, students felt that the ‘power of the pen’ was needed to make change happen. Students joined The Daily Texan, and they started writing articles and publicizing the wrong they felt was being done to them.” Linguistics professor Ian Hancock, who served as mentor to minority students during the ’90s, said he saw the frustrations of
African-American students in the 12-year effort to fund and build the statue of Martin Luther King, Jr. — completed in 1999 — that currently sits on the East Mall. “The efforts to build the statue started with a small group that formed a corps, and then positioned for support within the black community, and then went to the administration,” Hancock said. “There were some questions about whether the focus should be on not what’s happening on the inside, like asking for statues and so on, but on what the University itself is doing to make students feel welcome and part of the UT community.” Another prominent civil rights issue during the Clinton years was an increased focus
name to be more inclusive to women and organized themselves more formally in 2005. Leon said he vividly remembers attending the first football game of the 1956 season, in which the Longhorns played the University of Southern California. USC had black players on its team, but UT did not. “Throughout the game, we’re sitting here … surrounded with nothing but [the chant] ‘Kill that nigger,’ talking about the black player on USC’s team, running up and down the field, trouncing UT’s team,” Holland said. “‘Gee, who are you going to pull for?’ ‘I’m going to pull for USC.’ … That’s what set the tone for the rest of the time here.” Peggy Holland, Leon’s wife and a fellow Precursor, began attending UT in 1958. As a female student in the business school, Peggy was even more of a minority than her husband. “I truly hated [the way I was treated], but it wasn’t in me to give up,” Peggy said of her time at the University. “I stayed because we had a right to be there.” Because of their segregated living situations, black
students grew especially close and often passed notes about which professors to take. Peggy said certain professors, such as Seward Robb, went out of their way to help and welcome black students. Other professors refused to call on black students in courses where class participation was a mandatory part of the grade, resulting in unfair markdowns. Fogle said he recalled participating in a sit-in at Kinsolving residence hall to protest the treatment of black students on a Friday night in October 1961. The following morning, the dean called every black student on campus into his office and individually questioned them. All of the students refused to answer or name any of their peers as participants in the protest. “He said, ‘You know what this means, don’t you?’ ‘What does it mean?’ ‘You’re on probation.’ ‘Well, OK, what does that mean?’ ‘It means you can’t participate in varsity athletics, you can’t run for student office.’ … He listed a bunch of things,” Fogle said. “We already couldn’t do that because we were black.”
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on discrimination against the LGBTQ community. Students on campus strongly reacted to national stories of hate crimes such as those against Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, said Shane Whalley, education coordinator at the University’s Gender and Sexuality Center. “There was no way you could say James Byrd wasn’t murdered because he was black or that Matthew Shepard wasn’t murdered because he was gay, and I would say a lot of college campuses — UT included — had rallies and people coming to speak in response to these national stories,” Whalley said. “The ’90s were this time of a groundswell of conversation about civil rights in a different way than it had been talked about before.”
As these overarching legislative decisions were being made, Vivian Porche (then Harris) was a black psychology student. She described the white students’ general attitudes toward her as being friendly but cautious. Overall, Porche said she enjoyed her experience at the University, in part because of the tolerance and welcome she found in the city of Austin. But one science professor remains prominent in her memory for manipulating facts to bring his racism to the classroom. “The professor stood up there big as day and talked about how black people had smaller brains, and they weren’t as smart as Caucasians and just on and on about this stuff,” Porche said. “I remember getting so upset about this and having to control myself … I was hoping it wouldn’t be on the exam, because I was not going to put what he said down as correct.” Porche later attended medical school and is now the first black female professor at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center and the director of anesthesia at the MD Anderson Proton Therapy Center in Houston. She also gave the commencement address at the University’s Warfield Center for African and African American Studies in December. Education professor Richard Reddick said while the campus was formally desegregated during the Johnson administration, racist mindsets at the University took much longer to overcome. “The campus was desegregated, [but] it certainly was not integrated,” Reddick said. “Integration is being actually immersed in classes and discussions and being able to have conversations outside of the classroom … Some people would argue it is still happening.”
Marriage equality at forefront in Bush era By Nicole Bueno @itsmorebueno
During the years George W. Bush was president, socially conservative state and national policies related to same-sex marriage and public school integration drove most on-campus discussions of civil rights. According to assistant law professor Joseph Fishkin, one of the most important civil rights issues in the first decade of the 21st century was the rise of judiciary enforcement regarding integration. The courts, as opposed to Congress, were at the forefront of racial integration in schools, causing individual people to be held responsible for inclusion. Nicole Barragan, Spanish and public relations alum, said she didn’t notice much controversy regarding racial integration while she was a student at the University during Bush’s presidency. “Austin was, and is, such a liberal city, so I don’t feel like there was anyone discriminated against,” Barragan said. In 2004, Bush called on states to ratify an amendment to the U.S. Constitution defining marriage as a strictly heterosexual union. Bush said his push to amend was because of his belief that “marriage cannot be severed from its cultural, religious and natural roots without weakening the good influence of society.” Some political commentators saw Bush’s appeal to the states as a deliberate move to bypass, or perhaps undermine, Congress, but
Fishkin said he doesn’t think that is necessarily the case. “[The court] could see that over time, the general public was turning away, and the trajectory showed that most young people favored marriage equality,” Fishkin said. Although student inclusion was not a particularly divisive topic at the University, awareness was not lacking among the UT population. According to Reid Long, chemistry doctorate alum and former UT Senate member, the Queer Students Alliance released a report on gay and trans issues on campus around the same time. Long said he recalls a Student Government resolution filed in 2007 in support of domestic partner benefits. The resolution, according to Long, was most likely passed in response to a changing social climate after Texas’ ban on gay marriage in 2005. “It was a hallmark study for that particular group in regards to campus climate,” Long said. Regardless of national issues, on-campus policies became increasingly aimed at better representing the diverse student population. According to Long, for example, many of the applications for student leadership organizations were amended to be more inclusive to minority students. “As far as I know, they still do their applications the same way,” Long said. “I always thought the campus was pretty good about handling things like that.”
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Friday, April 4, 2014
Jonathan Garza / Daily Texan Staff
Cars drive on the congested I-35 on Wednesday afternoon. I-35 is the most congested freeway in Texas according to Texas Department of Transportation.
Three different segments of Lamar Boulevard rank on the Texas Department of Transportation’s 2013 100 Congested Roadways list. City officials are tackling traffic by planning to connect the activity centers with public transit.
Jonathan Garza Daily Texan Staff
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For hours every afternoon, cars stretch for miles on Austin’s major freeways and roads, stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic with little hope for relief. While city officials say they are taking a multifaceted approach to escaping the gridlock, researchers say Austin’s growing population will likely only worsen the commute unless significant action is taken. Last week, the U.S. Census Bureau released new data showing Austin is the fastest growing large metropolitan area in the country. Austin’s traffic is ranked worse than New York’s, I-35 between Austin and San Antonio is considered one of the most dangerous roads in the country and some research predicts a future of three-hour commutes between downtown Austin and Round Rock. With Austin’s low unemployment rate of 4.8 percent making the city an attractive place to live, the city’s population is only projected to keep rising. According to the city’s Planning and Development Review Department, Austin’s metropolitan area population will almost double by 2035. City demographer Ryan Robinson said commuters will need to be creative as the roads become more congested. “Using an automobile, increasingly in central Austin, is going to become more and more difficult,” Robinson said. “There’s just no two ways around that.” Eight roads in Travis County rank on the Texas Department of Transportation’s 2013 100 Congested Roadways list, with I-35 in Austin taking the number one spot. MoPac and the Capital of Texas Highway rank 27th and 64th, respectively. Three different segments of Lamar Boulevard also crack the top 100. In August 2013, the Texas A&M Transportation Institute released a study on I-35 that showed the evening rush hour travel time from downtown Austin to Round Rock will be more than three hours by 2035. Even when the study took improvement plans into account, researchers still found a three-hour commute from the city to Round Rock. “We’ve been characterized as the messengers of doom because what we show is not pretty,” said Ginger Goodin, a senior research engineer at the institute. “But what we did identify is that the region should be looking at a lot of different strategies.” The A&M study notes people will likely just stop moving to Austin before I-35
becomes unbearably congested, but Robinson said he believes people will change their commuting patterns rather than avoiding Austin entirely. One way city officials say they are tackling traffic is with the Imagine Austin Comprehensive Plan, which lays out Austin’s growth around activity centers. Under the plan, people live, work and shop in activity centers, reducing the need to commute. The city plans to connect the activity centers with public transit. “It’s simply so much more affordable to serve a dense environment,” Robinson said. “What I mean by serve is everything from water, waste water, electricity, transit, police and fire protection.” The A&M study accounted for the activity centers. Michael Oden, associate architecture professor and head of the Graduate Program in Community and Regional Planning, said other cities are also embracing the concept of activity centers. “The idea behind it is that as we grow and have more people, we try to organize them in more kinds of concentrated areas,” Oden said. Robinson said the city will have to rely more on public transit as the population increases. “We are going to have to take the multi-mobile approach,” Robinson said. “As we see an increase in population density downtown, that simply makes transit that much more viable.” Robert Spillar, the city’s transportation director, said Austin is working to improve mobility into its central core and offer more travel options. Spillar said the city is improving the road network by connecting more streets and working with the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization, a government entity that every urban area with a population above 50,000 is federally required to have. The city is also working with Capital Metro and Lone Star Rail on Project Connect, a collaborative high capacity transit plan for the region. As a result of the project, commuters can now use the rapid bus transit service MetroRapid. Commuters will have express toll lanes on MoPac in 2015, and rail projects are also being planned. “There’s no silver bullet here. There’s no single project that’s going to fix everything,” Spillar said. “So we need everything. For about 30 years, this community didn’t invest in major transportation infrastructure as a city, so it should be no surprise that we’re congested.” Daniel Yang, GIS and
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This map shows the amount of cars that traveled along these roads according to average traffic counts taken by the city. The city took the counts by certain blocks on various days, and the counts were averaged together by The Daily Texan. Roads that are colored a darker have a higher traffic count. modeling program manager at the planning organization, said it is too soon to tell if activity centers will be a viable solution. “It’s still too early to close the book, to say the centers have been successful or yet to be successful,” Yang said. “It takes time to see the vision of the centers concept to be fulfilled.” The city and the Texas Department of Transportation are in the early stages of planning the I-35 Capital Area Improvement Plan, according to TxDOT spokesman Chris Bishop. According to Bishop, ideas range from adding express lanes to burying the interstate underground through central Austin. “I-35 is the backbone of our local transportation network,” Bishop said. “In some segments, we’ve got more than 200,000 vehicles today and that threatens the economic
livelihood of the area.” Spillar said improving I-35 will require years of planning and construction. “I think we are actually moving toward a major investment in the I-35 corridor,” Spillar said. “The I-35 corridor is probably a 20-30 year development program. It’s not going to happen all it once.
There’s no way that it can.” Because of the city’s continued growth, Spillar said people will have to make a greater effort to plan how they get around Austin. “People have not, in this region, made conscious decisions about how they travel because they haven’t had to,” Spiller said. “Those days are gone.”
Multimedia Watch three teams of journalists race across the city on MoPac, Lamar and I-35 during rush hour. See who wins at dailytexanonline.com
4A OPINION
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LAURA WRIGHT, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF / @TexanEditorial Friday, April 4, 2014
WE ASKED
We asked: Will you attend Civil Rights Summit? Editor’s Note: In the run-up to next week’s Civil Rights Summit, we hit the West Mall on Thursday to ask students for their thoughts about the ticket distribution system as well as the significance of the event. Below are some of their responses. Aubrey Folck, speech language pathology sophomore DT: Are you going to the Civil Rights Summit next week? AF: I didn’t know about that. DT: Well, there are going to be four former presidents speaking on campus — Clinton, Bush, Obama and Carter. Do you have any thoughts on it? AF: I think that that is a pretty rare opportunity. Katie Russell, radio-television-film junior DT: Do you know about the Civil Rights Summit that’s happening on campus next week? KR: I’ve heard about it a little bit, yes. DT: Did you try and get tickets? KR: I did. Obviously, I mean Obama is going to be here — Jimmy Carter, Clinton, a lot of great people. I did. But I don’t think I got them. DT: How do you feel that there will be four presidents here? What does that mean for our University? KR: I don’t know. I think it’s really awesome, and it just shows how big UT is and our connections. I think something that’s really great about our school is that we have so many deep alumni connections — and the ability to have these resources that other smaller schools can’t afford this or maybe can’t host this. I think this is a lot about just UT and how established we
are as a school. I don’t know. It’s really exciting to me. I’ll maybe come and try to stand and maybe get a glimpse. Natalie Escarano, English and speech language pathology senior DT: Do you know about the Civil Rights Summit that’s happening on campus next week? NE: Yes. DT: Did you try and get tickets? NE: I did not. DT: Why? NE: Yeah, I didn’t really know the process, and by the time I heard about it, it was too late already. DT: What do you think it means for our campus that we will have four presidents speaking at this summit? NE: The apocalypse is coming. [Laughs] Sorry, I honestly have no clue. I think it’s great that it’s at our campus. I don’t really have any thoughts on it. It’s just going to happen. Ally Finken, human development and family sciences sophomore DT: Did you try and get tickets for the Civil Rights Summit? AF: I did. DT: Did you get tickets? AF: No. DT: Okay, how do you feel about the whole process? Do you think it was fair? Do you wish you had gotten tickets? AF: I think it was pretty fair. I mean, I think it was pretty fair. If you wanted to do it you had to apply, and you had to rank them. Of course, I am sure everyone put the Obama one as No. 1. I mean, the only way it could have been unfair is if you wanted to go to one of the lesser
ones, and people who did get it didn’t even want to go. James Grandberry, journalism junior DT: Did you try and get tickets for the Civil Rights Summit that’s happening on campus next week? JG: No, but a lot of my friends did. DT: Do you have any thoughts about that process? Do you think it was fair? Should it have been easier to get into it? JG: I think it might be just based on our initiatives. I think some people might have signed up earlier and got it. I think it was like a lottery. You can say it was unfair, but it seems pretty fair since it was a lottery. Tayma Rehn, English junior DT: Did you try and get tickets for the Civil Rights Summit? TR: I did. DT: Did you get tickets? TR: No. I was mad. I was so mad. DT: Can you just tell us about the process? Why it makes you mad? TR: Well, it made me mad because where else are you going to see Carter, Clinton, Bush and Obama all in the same place? And I don’t know. I’ve seen speeches of them before, so I thought it would be really cool to see them in person. So I signed up for this newsletter, and you were supposed to get this email and click this link, and I clicked the link like three minutes after the email was sent out, and it was like, “tickets are gone.” And I was not happy. I had been counting down for a week. DT: What do you think they could have done differently to make the process better [and] fairer for students? TR: I mean for students, I had to find out
about it because I work over at LBJ, so that’s how I found out about it. But they should have probably sent out an email to everybody, so they could have let us know about the opportunity ahead of time. Because then we could have signed up earlier, and then maybe more people could have gotten tickets. Because I know that only a select few students got an email about it from the dean I think, if they were preapproved, which I don’t understand. Lauren Eller, communication studies and human relations junior DT: Did you try to get tickets for the Civil Rights Summit? LE: No. DT: Did you know about the process? LE: No. DT: Do you know about the summit? LE: No. I heard about it briefly, but I didn’t get it in time. DT: What does this summit mean for our campus? What does it mean that we’re having four presidents here? LE: Well, it’s good publicity I guess, but I don’t know. I don’t even know why they’re here or what they’re doing here. I would love to hear them talk, but I am honestly clueless about the whole thing. DT: Could the University have done a better job in getting the word out to students? LE: Yeah, absolutely. I actually asked someone to email me the email because I didn’t see it.
Multimedia
Watch some of the students’ responses online at dailytexanonline.com
COLUMN
TAKE YOUR SHOT
“Black Graduation” undermines black students’ accomplishments
Friday Firing Lines: Abbott, Hall, Student fruit choices, the Tower
By David Davis
Daily Texan Columnist @daveedalon
I came to college with many credits, and as a result, I have received many emails about graduation even as a second-year student. One of those emails was from Afrikan American Affairs, a student organization that promotes black culture and leadership among black students, inviting me to participate in the Black Graduation ceremony — a reception for black UT students who are graduating this spring. According to the email, I was being celebrated for “being one out of only 4.5 percent of the [black] students that go to UT and also graduate from the University.” To demystify this figure, one should know that while black students do make up only 4.5 percent of the student population, 70 percent of these students graduate within a six-year time frame. Although this number is higher than the national graduation rate of black students, which sits at 42 percent, black students at UT have the second-lowest graduation rate of any ethnic group represented on campus. To be honest, when I do graduate, I will probably attend Black Graduation. It is comforting to be around people who have shared similar experiences in college, especially if the journey has been challenging, and Black Graduation makes this possible. But the reasons behind the ceremony should be re-examined. Despite the overall intention of the invitation, which I choose to believe is wholeheartedly innocent, I couldn’t help but be reminded by the email of the fact that I am a minority at UT who, statistically, should not be here. But
To be honest, when I do graduate, I will probably attend Black Graduation — it is comforting to be around people who have shared similar experiences in college, especially if the journey has been challening, and Black Graduation makes this possible. But the reasons behind the ceremony should be re-examined.
good for me, right? Having attended schools with diverse student populations for the majority of my life, I have always been well aware of my status as a minority, and no one has ever let me forget that there is a beaten path for me as a black man. Any positive deviation from a predestined route of being a poor, undereducated criminal must mean that I am the exception. But mentally associating oneself with the socially disadvantaged “other” and being reminded of this societal position only creates a limiting sense of inferiority. Although I understand the purpose of Black Graduation is to commend black students on a remarkable achievement that society deems unlikely for a person of color, simply being black and receiving a college degree at the same time should not be a cause for celebration. I knew early on that simply having a high school diploma and going to college was not going to suffice if I wanted to compete with my peers of different ethnicities who tend to perform better in school and in the job market. Black students should not be complacent with just graduating from college: It is only with a college degree that we have even the slightest chance of competing with people who do not look like us. Despite the inherent contradiction of a society that supposedly gifts the black community with affirmative action, which is supposed to give black people a fair shake in education and in the job market but still upholds institutional racism, black students should not view their ethnicity as an obstacle that prevents them from excelling academically. The email I received seemed to espouse the idea that my race was something to be overcome. Though repeatedly contacted for comment, no member of Afrikan American Affairs returned my requests for comment prior to this piece’s publication Black students should regard themselves as equals to their peers of different ethnicities. When I walk into a lecture hall, it is not uncommon for me to be one of only a few black students, if any. But I am determined to see my classmates as nothing more than people who take the same notes and tests as I do. When all is said in done, Black Graduation allows black students to feel good knowing there are people in the same boat as them, and, as I said before, come my own graduation, I will probably attend the event. But I don’t want to be celebrated for simply being black and graduating; that is akin to giving a runner an award before the race is finished or giving medals just for participating. Davis is an international relations and French junior from Houston.
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.
Every Friday, the Daily Texan editorial board will publish a selection of tweets and online comments culled from the Daily Texan website and the various Daily Texan Twitter accounts, along with direct submissions from readers. Our intention is to continue the tradition of the Firing Line, a column first started in the Texan in 1909, in which readers share their opinions “concerning any matter of general interest they choose.” Just like in 1909, the Texan “will never express its approval or disapproval of opinions given under the [Firing Line] header.” In other words, take your shot. Submissions can be sent to editor@dailytexanonline.com. Submissions are edited for length.
IF YOU DON’T LIKE IT, LEAVE If you don’t like it so much why don’t you move? Democrats whine and snarl all day that they don’t like the politics here, without realizing that they (and we) would be much happier if they’d all just get the heck out. — Online commenter “The Art of Logic,” in response to Noah Horwitz’s column, “In race for governor, Abbott shows no sign of swinging back toward the middle”
DIFFERING OPINIONS ON REGENT WALLACE HALL Wallace Hall has been way more trouble than he is worth. Whatever your political views, you’d have to be crazy to think Hall is a good thing for UT. Thank goodness we have Bill Powers to stand up to him. — Online commenter “jennifer_roy,” in response to the news story “Report: Chancellor Cigarroa asked President Powers to resign in summer 2013” I think Mr. Hall has been demonized to a level he does not deserve. Not the brightest character on the Board of Regents, but not deserving of borderline abuse. Powers on the other hand deserves some additional criticism. His use of the press (Austin Statesman) to wage battles with the board of Regents was unprofessional and demonstrated poor judgement. That is one of the reasons Dr. Cigarroa had a problem with Powers, and I do not think the University community should brush aside so easily this point in their never ending praise of Lord Powers. There are two sides to most stories. — Online commenter “Antonio,” in response to the news story “Report: Chancellor Cigarroa asked President Powers to resign in summer 2013”
A LITTLE PERSPECTIVE WOULD BE NICE Seriously? No data on how this ratio of fruit eating compares to other universities or even national grocery store averages? No data on how this historical ratio (or even quantity) has changed over time? This article is the most laughably useless, content-and-insight-free garbage I’ve read at the Texan yet. But wait! Turns out they did include some data on historical consumption: “’In the last 20 years, my bet is that there is more fruit being eaten now than then,’ Meyer said.” Well thank goodness for that. I don’t know what I’d do without Meyer and his hunch. Please tell me this was an April Fools joke and this nonsense is about to get replaced with a real article. — Online commenter “The Art of Logic,” in response to the news story “At UT, students prefer to go banana”
LEAVE THE TOWER ALONE Cassidy Jo @CassidyCockrell Wish the daily Texan would leave the Tower alone... Who cares what they do in there... It’s beautiful and OURS
SUBMIT A FIRING LINE | E-mail 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.
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 (@TexanEditorial) and receive updates on our latest editorials and columns.
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Eric Gay / Associated Press
Bob Butler (left) and Bob Gordon, work on a memorial at Central Christian Church for the victims of the Fort Hood shooting, Thursday, April 3, 2014, in Killeen, Texas.
History of psychiatric issues for shooter By Julia Brouillette @juliakbrou
The soldier who killed three people and left more than a dozen injured at Fort Hood on Wednesday evening may have argued with another service member prior to the shooting, according to Lt. Gen. Mark Milley. .Milley, joined by Sen. John Cornyn, identified the gunman as 34-yearold Ivan Lopez in a press conference held Thursday
afternoon. Milley said there is a “strong possibility” that Lopez engaged in a verbal argument with another soldier before the attack, yet there is no indication that he targeted specific individuals. “At this point we have not yet ruled out anything whatsoever,” Milley said. “We are committed to letting the investigation run its course.” Milley said Lopez was undergoing treatment for depression
and diagnostic procedures for post-traumatic stress disorder. “We have very strong evidence that he had a medical history that indicates unstable psychiatric or psychological condition,” Milley said. “We believe that to be a fundamental underlying cause.” Mental health issues are some of the most difficult to identify, Cornyn said. “Mental-health issues are the most vexing
issues from my perspective in terms of how do we identify people who have genuine problems that need to be treated,” Cornyn said. “At the same time, we have to be very careful and not paint with too broad a brush and assume because someone has been in combat that they necessarily have those issues.” Lopez served four months in Iraq but had not been in combat, according to Milley.
it’s going to be needs-based,” Clark said. “We’re still in the process of figuring it out.” Robin Bradford, director of communications for the Austin Community Foundation, said more than 1,000 people and businesses have donated to the SXSW Cares Fund. The foundation helped set up the fund, along with SXSW and the Mohawk — the bar directly next to the crash site on Red River Street. “We opened the fund in response to community outpouring,” Bradford said. Many Austin-area businesses contributed, including Stubb’s BBQ, Juiceland and Home Slice Pizza. In the weeks following the crash, APD’s Victim Services unit has worked directly with those injured, providing counseling services and assistance with applying for Crime Victims’ Compensation, which is offered through the Texas Attorney General’s office. Those who apply for Crime Victims’ Compensation can be approved for benefits up to $50,000 per person, and those who are disabled as a result of a crime may qualify for an additional $75,000, according to the office’s website. “Crime Victims’ Compensation will assist with medical bills and lost wages, but there’s a cap on that,” Clark said. Shortly after the crash, each victim received $500 to cover immediate expenses, according to Clark. Now, counselors are in regular contact with victims to help
You don’t know until insurance is billed what Crime Victims’ Compensation will cover. Right now, this is so chaotic, and it was such a tragic event, that [victims] are just not sure at this point. —Kachina Clark, Manager of APD Victim Services
them determine their current and future needs. “You don’t know until insurance is billed what Crime Victims’ Compensation will cover,” Clark said. “Right now, this is so chaotic, and it was such a tragic event, that [victims] are just not sure at this point. This will be an ongoing process.” Computer science sophomore Maria Belyaeva, who sustained multiple non-lifethreatening injuries in the crash, said she doesn’t know much about how the funds will be distributed and is waiting to hear from APD. “They’re still kind of deciding on who needs to get what based on things like who has been injured worse, who needs it more or who has the higher medical bills, and I’m not sure how it’s all going to work,” Belyaeva said. Belyaeva said she appreciates the continued monetary support from APD. “I’ve been in contact with them several times,” Belyaeva said. “They did give some immediate relief, which was nice.”
STATE
College degree essential in emerging job market By Alyssa Mahoney @TheAlyssaM
Although Texas’ job growth continues to outpace the rest of the U.S. at all pay levels, a highly educated workforce is essential for Texas to continue making significant economic gains, according to a new report. The report, “Texas Leads Nation in Creation of Jobs at All Pay Levels,” used data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Current Population Survey to find that from 2000 to 2013, Texas had a higher job growth percentage than the rest of the U.S. The report also suggested
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people with college degrees,” Orrenius said. “An important piece of this is to make sure that we continue to see an increase in the number of people with college degrees.” Orrenius said she expects to see the greatest increase in job growth in finance, insurance, real estate, health, education and professional and business services, which include lawyers and accountants. Robert Vega, Liberal Arts Career Services director, said UT graduates find jobs at all pay levels. According to Vega, the National Association of Colleges and Employers conducted an
early examination of UT’s class of 2014 and predicted 2014 salaries would not increase much from 2013. Overall, the 2014 average salary of a UT graduate is $45,473, which is a 1.2 percent increase from 2013. The 2014 average salary of College of Liberal Arts graduates is $38,045, an increase of 3.5 percent from 2013. College of Engineering graduates are reporting an average salary of $62,710, an increase of 0.3 percent. Vega said the majority of UT students prefer to start a career in Austin or elsewhere in Texas, which affects their ability to find a job. “When the economy is
down, our graduates have to be more flexible and open-minded when searching for their first job,” Vega said. “When the economy is up, graduates may have a better employment outlook, but they must still be ready to compete in their targeted job search.” According to economics senior Helen Lee, who has workstudy and marketing experience, the consulting field is very competitive. Lee said she has already accepted a consulting job in The Woodlands. “It is a good place for me to start out as a recent graduate, and there are a lot of opportunities in Texas,” Lee said.
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“However, I do think in the future that a master’s degree or a Ph.D. degree would be beneficial to advance my career.” Orrenius said she expects more widespread job growth across the U.S., especially in states such as California and Florida. “What we’re seeing now is that Texas has done extremely well since the recession … we were kind of the only game in town,” Orrenius said. “Now we’re seeing the rest of the U.S. catch up, and the forecast right now is very favorable. These other states are coming back finally, and it’s been a long haul, but that’s a positive.”
ADVERTISING TERMS There are no refunds or credits. In the event of errors made in advertisement, notice must be given by 10 am the fi rst day of publication, as the publishers are responsible for only ONE incorrect insertion. In consideration of The Daily Texan’s acceptance of advertising copy for publication, the agency and the advertiser will indemnify and save harmless, Texas Student Media and its officers, employees and agents against all loss, liability, damage and expense of whatsoever nature arising out of the copying, printing or publishing of its advertisement including without limitation reasonable attorney’s fees resulting from claims of suits for libel, violation of right of privacy, plagiarism and copyright and trademark infringement. All ad copy must be approved by the newspaper which reserves the right to request changes, reject or properly classify an ad. The advertiser, and not the newspaper, is responsible for the truthful content of the ad. Advertising is also subject to credit approval.
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that the top half of wage distribution accounted for 55 percent of job growth in Texas. Co-author Pia Orrenius, who is a senior economist and vice president of the Federal Reserve of Dallas, said even though Texas has managed to create middle-class jobs, the lack of middle-class job growth in the rest of the U.S. and other countries will affect the state. She said quality education is a crucial factor to ensure that Texas continues to create highpaying jobs. “Part of the problem has been that there’s been a lack of supply or a slowdown in the increase of the number of
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6 COMICS 6
Friday, April 4, 2014
COMICS
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Back, to a shellback Investments since 1975 What a tropical tourist definitely doesn’t want to bring home It helps you let go Many of them play at the Olympics Some Windows systems Shakespeare sonnet mentioning Philomel’s mournful hymns Title for Liszt Gigantic Text with Numbers Patent Carlito’s way Street view First name in popular shorts
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STEFAN SCRAFIELD, SPORTS EDITOR / @texansports Friday, April 4, 2014
BASEBALL
Texas seeks conference dominance
SIDELINE NBA SPURS
By Matt Warden @TheMattWarden5
When eighth-ranked Texas hosts Baylor this weekend, one team will shed its .500 conference record. The Longhorns (23-7, 3-3 Big 12) will battle the Bears (15-13, 4-4 Big 12) in their first home games in almost two weeks — a span that saw them win three out of four games. Texas won two of three games against Texas Tech last weekend, pushing its conference record to .500 before it defeated Rice 5-2 on Tuesday night. The offense continued to scorch opposing pitching away from home, scoring 25 runs in the past four games. Freshman catcher Tres Barrera has erupted in the last few games. He notched eight total hits in the last four games, including two three-hit games against the Red Raiders. Barrera’s average has creeped up to .297, placing him just under the Longhorns’ top three hitters, who are all hitting over .300. Against Texas Tech, Barrera hit Texas’ seventh home run of the season. Sophomore left fielder Ben Johnson continued his torrid pace against Tech, tallying two homers of his own that put his team-leading total at three for the season. Johnson has recorded at least one hit in each
THUNDER
MLB ASTROS
YANKEES
TWINS
WHITE SOX
RED SOX Jenna VonHofe / Daily Texan Staff
Sophomore left fielder Ben Johnson has emerged as a legitimate power threat for the Longhorns’ offense and currently leads the team with three home runs on the season. He is also tied for second on the team with a .304 batting average.
of Texas’ last eight games and is tied for second on the team with a .304 batting average. The Longhorns will face a Bears team this weekend that is coming off two wins against Incarnate World. Baylor has posted a combined batting average of just .226 this season and hasn’t
scored more than seven runs in a game since March 18 against Houston Baptist. Texas’ pitching staff still boasts a combined 1.98 ERA and holds its opponents to a combined .218 batting average, despite giving up eight runs in the second game of series against the Red
SOFTBALL
UT looks to stay undefeated with victory over Texas Tech By Scarlett Smith @ScarlettRSmith1
Coming off a thunderous game Wednesday night, in which Texas dominated visiting Texas State, 19-7, head coach Connie Clark’s squad hosts Texas Tech tonight in a return to conference play. The Longhorns are currently undefeated (1-0) in Big 12 competition after winning their opener against Baylor. The Red Raiders come into the game after three straight losses in their weekend series with Baylor. Texas looks to carry the momentum it gained from Wednesday’s meeting into today’s matchup and continue its three-game win streak. Offensively, Texas had one of its best performances this year, producing 19 runs — the second most in the program’s history — on 15 hits. Senior shortstop Taylor Thom hit two of the team’s four home runs, including the fifth grand slam of her career and the most in Texas history. “We had a couple days
BITCOIN
continues from page 1 Alliance for Minorities in Engineering. He said the greatest gift his parents ever gave him was an education, and now he wants to help give back. He chose to donate in bitcoins for the same reason he signed up for the race. Bitcoin, which is a relatively new virtual currency, is still in the stages of the unknown. Many aren’t sure if it will succeed or fail, which is the same question many are asking about Guillen’s run. Guillen is trying to challenge normal conventions. He said he wants to step away from the fear of failure and stop it from preventing his aspirations, while using his mental strength to succeed. “I don’t want this to be a test of physical strength,” Guillen said. “That’s not the point of this unthinkable challenge. There’s an
Jonathan Garza / Daily Texan Staff
Senior shortstop Taylor Thom powered Texas’ 19-run outburst Wednesday night with two home runs.
off, and I was able to come out here and just work on some things that I really needed to work on personally, and I think that showed in my performance,” Thom said following her 3-for-3 night with a team-leading seven RBIs. Freshman pitcher Tiarra Davis will likely get the start versus Tech, having established herself as Texas’ ace this season. Davis has also proved to be a force at the plate, generating at least one RBI in her last three games. Texas Tech pitchers have emphasis on thinking, on the power of one’s own mind and the ability [to] push themselves through barriers. I wanted this to be a mental test of whether I can succeed or fail.” Many people train a year for the race, with some contestants have training up to 18 months in preparation for Saturday. “At first my family thought I was going crazy and were actually concerned for my health,” Guillen said. “They asked, ‘Is this guy nuts?’ And I may be, but I like to think I’m at least a little sane.” After he explained his reasoning behind his adventures and the goal he is striving to achieve, Guillen gained the full support of his family and friends. “Steve has always been obviously a little bit different,” said Michael Guillen, Steve Guillen’s older brother. “He does his own thing and sets his own goals. But we’re
a modest 2.47 combined ERA, and surrendered their greatest amount of runs last week in their first game of the series against Baylor in a 14-1 loss. The Longhorns suffered their worst loss of the season to Arizona State by a score of 8-3. Despite the Raiders’ slightly better overall record (27-12), the Longhorns (21-15) are favored to come out on top, relying on an aggressive approach at the plate and timely fielding. A win will keep Texas undefeated in Big 12 action and drop Tech to 0-4. definitely supportive of him doing it. The family is always behind him.” The 50-mile race, which has a 15-hour time limit, will consist of 117 contestants, mostly from Texas and a few from Mexico. Guillen will travel to Smithville on Friday night and will start his race Saturday morning at 5 a.m. The course is a 16.7-mile loop that the runners will circle three times. Food stations will be posted along the way, but Guillen will also take a fanny pack with him, filled with replenishing food so he can refuel while he runs. Guillen has had no official training for the race. While he tries to go to the gym regularly, he said it can sometimes be difficult with his tough course load. He has used this week to prepare his body mentally and metabolically, thinking about the race and changing some of his eating habits to consume about 250 calories
Raiders. Baylor will be forced to rely on its starting rotation, which has carried the pitching staff with a combined ERA of 2.43 this season. Texas and Baylor both sit at .500 in the Big 12 heading into this weekend, with Texas primed to stake its claim as a conference force.
ORIOLES
WHAT TO WATCH Baylor @ Texas TOP TWEET Friday: 7 p.m. Saturday: 7 p.m. Sunday: 2:30 p.m.
WEEKEND RECAPS/PREVIEWS
Mack Brown @UT_MackBrown
“Success is getting what you want, happiness is wanting what you get.”
TRACK & FIELD / GRANT GORDON & DANIEL CLAY The Longhorns continue their outdoor season Friday and Saturday with another big challenge at the Stanford Invitational in Stanford, Calif., against runners from the top programs in the nation. After the women’s side vaulted 12 spots in the rankings to No. 3 overall, first year head coach Mario Sategna will need to maintain his team’s focus in order to sustain the Longhorn’s recent success. “I think the tough thing for us as coaches is we are trying to get the athletes prepared for the end of the year,” Sategna said. “But at the same time, it’s very important that we come out and have a great showing.” Senior middle distance runner Marielle Hall is coming off a 1,500-meter win at the Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays. “This is my senior year, so I have to give it everything I have,” Hall said. “I hope that we can come out on top to have that momentum from a second place indoor finish.” The Texas men experienced a 12 spot slide to No. 18 in the polls after Texas Relays. However, the early-season slide may look
SPORTS BRIEFLY Washington Redskins pick up Colt McCoy
Marielle Hall
Senior middle distance runner
irrelevant by season’s end, as the team still has several meets ahead of it. Mostly distance runners have been entered into this weekend’s meet, with athletes competing in the 800-, 1,500-, 5,000- and 10,000-meter. One athlete to watch on the men’s side is senior distance runner John McNamara. The senior finished 7th in the mile at Texas Relays with a time of 4:08.95 and will compete in the 1,500-meter this weekend. Another athlete to keep an eye on is junior distance runner Mark Pinales. Coming off a win in the 5,000-meter at Texas Relays with a time of 14:25.96, Pinales looks to increase his distance to 10,000-meter mark and hopes for the same winning result.
Lauren Ussery / Daily Texan Staff
Mechanical engineering senior Steven Guillen will attempt his biggest challenge yet with the Hell’s Hills marathon.
per hour, which is his goal during the race. “One thing I haven’t done a lot of this week is sleep,” Guillen said. “I’ve just tried to do some schoolwork and prepare mentally for the race, asking myself a lot of questions. I’ve been going to my friends and my family getting advice, but that’s pretty much it.” Guillen has accepted the
fact that he might not make it the full 50 miles. He has even accepted the risks, such as injury, that come with the race. But, despite these doubts, the simple purple and gold sign on the door of Guillen’s bedroom perfectly explains his thought process as he attempts his “unthinkable challenge.” “Attitude + Ambition = Achievement.”
The Washington Redskins have signed quarterback Colt McCoy. The contract was signed Thursday, giving the Redskins a new potential No. 3 quarterback to replace Rex Grossman. Grossman is a free agent after playing behind Robert Griffin III and Kirk Cousins the past two seasons. McCoy could also compete for the No. 2 spot should the Redskins decide to trade Cousins. A third-round draft pick in 2010 by the Cleveland Browns, McCoy started 21 games his first two seasons but has since been a backup. He played last year for San Francisco, appearing in four games and throwing one pass. —Associated Press
Women’s golf battles stiff test in Arizona
After a week off, the Longhorns return to the course this weekend in Tempe, Ariz., for the PING/ASU Invitational. The final tournament before the Big 12 Championship on April 25, the Longhorns will face conference competition in No. 8 Oklahoma, as well as top-10 ranked teams Arizona State, Arizona, UCLA, Duke, Stanford and South Carolina. Facing a lineup full of tough competition, the team will look to season leader junior Bertine Strauss to lead the team to a top finish. Previously, the team recorded its season-best finish at the Farms Collegiate Invitational on March 26, landing in the top 10 for the first and only time this season. The Longhorns look to make that two this weekend, teeing off the first round of the tournament 10 a.m. Friday. —Caroline Hall
8 L&A
HANNAH SMOTHERS, LIFE&ARTS EDITOR / @DailyTexanArts Friday, April 4, 2014
8
MUSIC
Art and music collide in campus concerts By Eleanor Dearman @EllyDearman
Most classical music concerts are fairly similar: Audience members go to a large music hall and listen to a full orchestra perform. But the Austin Cultural Campus Concert Crawl is making the experience more intimate. For the third year, Austin Cultural Campus is working with UT’s Butler School of Music to feature small ensembles of student musicians at museums on and around campus. A piano trio will be stationed this Sunday at the Blanton Museum of Art, a trombone quartet at Landmarks’ “Clock Knot,” a string quartet at the Harry Ransom Center and a wind ensemble at the Bullock Texas State History Museum. Guests will be able to walk from concert to concert free of charge. Austin Cultural Campus was formed in 2009 as a way to connect the museums surrounding campus, creating a museum district in Austin. The Butler School of Music began collaborating with the organization as a way to showcase student musicians to new audiences and allow the musicians to perform in venues other than concert halls. “One thing we really like is the collaboration of different art organizations on campus,” said Dan Seriff, community outreach coordinator for the music school. “We work pretty closely with the other academic units in the College of Fine Arts to put on a show or two a year of collaborative work, and to get the opportunity to do that with some of the more professional, rather than
Illustration by Cody Bubenik / Daily Texan Staff
education or cultural organizations, on campus — we really enjoy that.” The musicians who will be featured are pulled from various chamber groups in the Butler School. Each semester, members of the small ensembles are required to do a community outreach project, which can be fulfilled by the campus crawl. Each ensemble is able to pick its music for the event. Seriff and the students tried to match each piece of music to an exhibition at the given venue, but it posed a challenge. “We tried as best as we
could, based on what the students were playing, to put them in appropriate venues,” Seriff said. “Unfortunately there was only one group this year that the music really lined up well with what was going on at that particular venue.” The most successfully matched group in the event is the piano trio set to perform at the Blanton Museum of Art. To relate to Blanton’s Latin American exhibit, the ensemble will perform “Primavera Portena” from Four Seasons, an Argentinian tango by Astor Piazzolla. “We typically don’t get to
FOOD
play different styles of music as music majors,” said Diana Burgess, cellist for the Blanton’s piano trio and music performance senior. “It’s usually Western classical music, so like Beethoven, Mozart, that kind of typical classical music. We just wanted something alternative. It’s a very different style of music to play, so that makes it interesting for us.” The piece has more of a swinging rhythm and requires the trio to play with a different character than it normally would. “Our teacher actually wanted us to play it like old,
Argentinean men because that’s usually who you’d see the music played by,” Burgess said. “These old guys, who have been playing it forever, and just come to life when they play tango music.” The tour will give students an experience that’s usually hard to come by: viewing examples of art and music simultaneously on campus. “It offers visitors an opportunity to see all that we offer at each of the respective institutions in terms of their exhibitions and programing,” said Kathleen Stimpert, co-founder of Austin Cultural Campus and director of
AUSTIN CULTURAL CAMPUS CONCERT CRAWL When: Sunday, April 6, 1 p.m. - 4 p.m. Where: Blanton Museum of Art, The Harry Ransom Center, Bullock Texas State History Museum, Landmarks’ “Clock Knot” Cost: Free
public relations and marketing at the Blanton Museum. “But it also offers an opportunity to hear some of the finest musicians from the Butler school within these unique settings.”
THEATER
Comedy duos duel for applause By Kritika Kulshrestha @kritika88
Illustration by Stephanie Vanicek / Daily Texan Staff
Longhorns represent at VegFest By Carmen Rising @Carmen_Rising
After learning about several vegetarian and vegan food festivals in Dallas and Houston, Adrienne Lusk and her friends decided it was time to create one in Austin. With live music and vegan food trucks, the third annual Texas VegFest will take place Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Fiesta Gardens. “Whenever you have something like VegFest, you think there won’t be anything for you and it’s really the contrary,” Lusk said. “We try to strive to create an event where everyone can feel comfortable.” Fletch Brendan Good, communications director for the Vegetarian Network of Austin, said VegFest provides an opportunity for any skeptic to sample a variety of vegan and vegetarian food, including vegan donuts and barbecue. “Reaching people who
aren’t interested in plantbased living is the toughest proposition,” Good said. “The best we can hope for is that people try the food and that they see that it tastes good and that it’s not just twigs and berries.” The festival will host speakers — including chefs, doctors, activists and even an ultimate fighter — to discuss veganism and vegetarianism. There will also be environmental and animal awareness activities. “If you do have health issues … you really can reduce those symptoms and issues through a plant-based diet,” Lusk said. “And there’s this whole winding system that puts a lot of environmental strain by having a meat and dairy diet.” The UT student organization Students Against Cruelty to Animals will have a table at VegFest with Austin for Animals. Alex Bean, president of Students Against Cruelty to Animals, said the
organization hopes to educate a larger audience. “For this festival, we want to let people know that we exist,” Bean said. “There are a lot of great organizations that are experts on these subjects that we want to get involved with so that we can be more effective in the community. Even if you go meatless for a few days a week it’s a huge help to animals and the environment.” UT student group University Vegetarians also plans to attend the festival. University Vegetarians chairwoman Vanessa Chorush said VegFest is a great opportunity for vegetarian students to get involved in the community. “I chose UT mainly because of the environment and that it’s open to diversity,” said Chorush. “This festival is symbolic of why I chose this city. It’s a smaller specialization within a bigger place. When there are larger community events, we try to go have a UT presence.”
Comedy is not for everyone. It takes years of work, critical thinking and a clever understanding of what’s funny and what’s funny in the moment, said Chris Sebilia, an Austinbased comedian, writer and actor. Sebilia is the host and producer ofthe “Triple Threat — Elimination Style Comedy Show,” which takes place the first Sunday of every month. The next show is on April 6 at ColdTowne Theater. Radio-television-film senior Olivia Doud takes part in this challenge that combines sketch, improvisation and stand-up comedy, along with her comedian friend Christina Parrish. Parrish is a member of Disco Box, a four-person improv comedy troupe in Austin. “There are people who are really talented in two or three mediums,” Sebilia said. “I didn’t see a show out there that really showcased people who had the ability to do several different types of comedy.” With three two-person teams participating in this comedy challenge, the winner is determined by audience voting. After every round, audience votes eliminate a participant. Not every participant gets to perform stand-up — the two people left at the end perform stand-up comedy against each other. Doud and Parrish, who are on the same team, have written a sketch for the upcoming challenge that is inspired by their Pilates classes. “Everybody has the capacity to be funny,” Sebilia said. “But to be really funny or to be funny on stage is a whole other skill set, and
Amy Zhang / Daily Texan Staff
Christina Parrish and radio-television-film senior Olivia Doud will compete in the “Triple Threat – Elimination Style Comedy Show” on Sunday.
not everyone has the drive to pursue it.” Doud, who moved to Austin in 2010 when she joined UT’s radio-television-film program, has been writing and performing sketch comedy for four years. She will perform for the second time at Sunday’s comedy challenge. “I came to UT for film, because I always made movies with my cousins, but I realized I didn’t like making films all that much,” Doud said. “What I always liked was comedy. I want to pursue the business of comedy, work behind the scenes or maybe produce comedy in some way.” For Doud, comedy is a way to make her feel comfortable around people. “I always knew of comedy as a way to endear myself to people,” Doud said. “Like growing up, if I was uncomfortable with something, I knew I could make a joke of it and people would laugh. I felt more comfortable being around people that way.” Doud, who was an intern for The New Movement Theater, an Austin improv comedy group, said she has a long way to go before she can consider herself an accomplished comedian. “The hardest part about
TRIPLE THREAT – ELIMINATION STYLE COMEDY SHOW When: April 6, 7 p.m., and the first Sunday each month Where: ColdTowne Theater Cost: $6
comedy is that it takes constant, constant practice,” Doud said. “A lot of times it won’t work, especially standing in front of a crowd that isn’t laughing at your jokes.” While Doud takes her inspiration for comedy by reading up on world affairs and politics, Parrish looks to people around her for inspiration. “My stand-up comedy is a little bit darker,” Parrish said. “I’m pulling from characters that are more relatable: how I feel as a woman, how I feel like a young girl. Whenever I’m writing, I talk about how overly compensating I am.” According to Parrish, comedy is possible only when one leaves their ego aside. “I love comedies,” Parrish said. “There is no better way to spend your time than hanging out with people who are funny and people who are trying to be funny.”