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Wednesday, September 17, 2014
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STUDENT GOVERNMENT
GSA appoints new vice president By Eleanor Dearman @ellydearman
Brian Wilkey, Graduate Student Assembly president, appointed architecture graduate student Vance Roper as the organization’s vice president Tuesday after having the seat vacant since August. On Aug. 21, David Villarreal stepped down as GSA president, making Wilkey president and leaving the organization without a vice president. Since becoming president, Wilkey has been
searching for his replacement. Wilkey said he sent out emails and made announcements to the graduate student body, and two people expressed interest in being GSA vice president. Out of the two applicants, Wikley said Roper was the best candidate. At Tuesday’s meeting, the assembly unanimously voted to instate Roper as vice president, moving him from his previous position as legislative affairs director.
“In our conversation, I believe he very much shares the vision of what the GSA should be working on this year and working towards,” Wilkey said. “More importantly, he’s got a long-term mindset about what we will do this year and what will be beneficial down the road.” According to Roper, his experience as legislative affairs director, in which he helped form resolutions aimed at graduate students, has helped to prepare him for
minor incidents happen frequently in the labs. “The minor accidents that we usually see are breaking of glassware and spilling of chemicals,” Fjetland said.
Chris Riley, a member of the Austin City Council, advocated for more transportation options at Tuesday’s Student Government meeting. Riley announced his plan Monday to legalize the ride sharing services Uber and Lyft in Austin. Currently, both are legal as underground operating services, but this push would advertise them to the public as an alternative to public transportation and traditional taxicabs. “It is a real paradigm shift,” Riley said. “We have a very elaborate set of regulations in place to govern the cab industry. We control the fares they charge, the number of cabs on the street, and for a good reason. The problem is the world has changed now, and there are opportunities to have more effective and more efficient modes of transportation in place.” Riley, a District 9 council seat candidate, said he hopes to legalize these services to minimize traffic. “What I want to do is figure out a way we can actually legalize services like Uber and Lyft, so you guys can know you’re getting into those options, getting into those services and use them safely,” Riley said. According to Riley, the City Council is scheduled to discuss an item on Sept. 25 that will encourage operating agreements for transportation services such as Uber and Lyft. Riley said some of these operating agreements include providing adequate insurance coverage, driver background checks, vehicle safety checks, a zero-tolerance alcohol policy, ADA accommodations and price of ride disclosure.
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UBER page 2
Mike McGraw | Daily Texan Staff
Vance Roper was elected vice president of the Graduate Student Association on Tuesday. Roper hopes to improve graduate housing options and increase participation in GSA.
GSA page 2
By Natalie Sullivan @natsullivan94
Amy Zhang | Daily Texan Staff
Biochemistry junior Aubrey Trapp works in the Synthesis and Biological Recognition lab, a Freshman Research Initiative stream. Labs on campus require diligent attention to safety protocols in order to avoid hazards and accidents.
“Every student working in a lab is required to complete basic lab safety training, and then individual labs have their own specific training,” Nolan said. “We send a newsletter called ‘The Lab Safety Update’ out every few
City Council to vote on ride-sharing alternatives @ellydearman
Organization prioritizes lab safety
most common lab accidents on campus involve chemical spills, improper eyewash cleaning and use, and chemical storage and disposal. Nolan said EHS provides training to students as part of its safety efforts.
CITY
By Eleanor Dearman
CAMPUS
In late August, UTPD reported a chemical spill involving lithium aluminum hydride — a highly waterreactive chemical — leaking on to a work bench in the Hackerman Building. This is just one example of the types of accidents Environmental Health and Safety tries to prevent. EHS is the organization responsible for ensuring the safety of operations on campus, handling everything from food sanitation to lab safety. “We usually get about 30-40 significant accidents per year,” said Dennis Nolan, EHS assistant director of biological and lab safety. “Those can be anything from spills in a lab, an explosion, an equipment failure or a fire.” Nolan said there are more than 1,600 total labs on campus, and each is required to follow certain inspection and safety protocols. “EHS inspects each lab once a year, and then lab supervisors are required to self-inspect their labs once a semester,” Nolan said. According to the EHS “Big 12” Safety List, the
bit.ly/dtvid
months with information about recent accidents and training events.” Conrad Fjetland, organic lab supervisor and chemistry lecturer, said although students take safety precautions to prevent accidents,
POLICE
THEATER & DANCE
UTPD, APD diversity matches constituency
Texas Performing Arts receives grant
By Natalie Sullivan @natsullivan94
While some major cities have relatively high disparities between the racial makeup of their police forces and the surrounding community, APD’s demographics closely reflect those of Austin, according to APD community survey statistics. A 2011 demographic survey shows APD’s total sworn personnel are approximately 69 percent white, 9 percent black, 21 percent Hispanic or Latino and 1 percent Asian. The most comprehensive demographic data for Aus-
tin, taken in the 2010 census, said Austin is 68.3 percent white, 8.1 percent black, 35.1 percent Hispanic or Latino and 6.3 percent Asian. The survey allowed participants to identify as multiple races. APD Sgt. Gizette Gaslin said APD believes having a police force demographically similar to the community is essential to good policing. “We always try to represent the people we serve, so we try to mirror the demographics of Austin as closely as we can,” Gaslin said. “When people have issues, I think they really respond to people like
UTPD page 2
By Josh Willis @joshwillis35
The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation awarded a $400,000 grant to Texas Performing Arts on Thursday to support classical music production for various shows and performances on campus. “The largest benefit [of the grant] will be for the Butler School of Music because it is really about doing programming for classical music in a more contemporary way and applying it to a more interdisciplinary use,” said Kathy Panoff, director and associate dean of Texas Performing Arts Center. Panoff said the Mellon Foundation had spe-
cific intentions for the grant’s impact on Texas Performing Arts. “The Mellon Foundation was looking to elevate classical music,” Panoff said. “They were attempting to make classical music more popular, which is difficult in modern times with the younger generation.” Texas Performing Arts is not a first-time recipient of a Mellon Foundation grant, having previously received money from the Foundation in 2011. “We had a successful application the first time, and they awarded us $450,000,” Panoff said. “In January, they asked us to apply again because of the success of the program.”
Chris Foxx | Daily Texan Staff
The UT Performing Arts Department received a $400,000 grant from The Andrew Mellon Foundation last week. A large portion of the grant will be allocated to the School of Music.
The Mellon Foundation issues a large number of grants to institutions throughout the country and could not comment on
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ONLINE
Stark Center opens exhibit on 1914 football team. PAGE 3
Adler’s tax-exemption plan could hurt student renters. PAGE 4
Former tackle Britt Hager means business. PAGE 6
UT alumna owns floral shop, event planning company. PAGE 8
Guest lecturer discusses politics in the Middle East. PAGE 3
Pay attention to Scottish independence referendum. PAGE 4
Women’s golf team finishes fourth in Minnesota. PAGE 6
An email newsletter aims to bring news to students. PAGE 8
Darrell K Royal Research Fund for Alzheimer’s Disease gives grant to UT professor. dailytexanonline.com
specific details about the money that was given to UT. According to Texas
MELLON page 2 REASON TO PARTY
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