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LIFE&ARTS PAGE 8
COMICS PAGE 7
SPORTS PAGE 6
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UNIVERSITY
POLICE
Possible physics TA cuts cause concern
APD looks at implementing body cameras for officers
By Eleanor Dearman @ellydearman
More than 140 physics graduate students have signed a petition voicing their opposition to a possible cut in the department’s teaching assistant positions. According to Rebecca Roycroft, physics graduate student and TA, the opposition is in response to a proposed plan that was announced at a Nov. 21 physics faculty meeting, which the physics graduate welfare
committee, a group of graduate students that serve as a liaison between faculty, administration and students, attended. According to Roycroft, someone suggested at the meeting that about 40 of the approximately 120 teaching assistant positions be cut and transferred to students with bachelor’s degrees. She said the plan is not definite, but it has caused concern in the department. “They were pretty alarmed by that and immediately emailed the rest of
the grad reps to tell us about it,” said Roycroft, who is also a member of the welfare committee. Roycroft said the plan was proposed as a way to increase the stipend of TAs in the department. “It’s accompanied by a small pay raise and some other incentives — things that are supposed to be good for grad students — but I think those benefits pale in comparison to the fact that they are proposing to cut 40
PHYSICS page 2
By Natalie Sullivan @natsullivan94
Griffin Smith | Daily Texan Staff
Roberto Hernández, assistant instructor for the physics department, discusses a physics experiment with students.
CAMPUS
Local speakers honor World AIDS Day By Nidia Cavazos @NCnidia
The Gender and Sexuality Center recognized World AIDS Day with discussions from two Austinarea speakers on AIDS and topics relevant to gender and sexuality. The event was part of the center’s 10-year anniversary celebration. At the event, English assistant professor Heather Houser read from her new book, “Ecosickness in Contemporary U.S. Fiction: Environment and Affect,” and Ebony Stewart, local poet and sexual health educator, spoke on the widespread confusion established among younger generations in regards to gender and sexuality. Houser discussed the central topics in her book and the relationship between the human body and its
GENDER page 3
Stephanie Tacy | Daily Texan Staff
Q Austin representatives Steven Tamayo and Aerik E. Pachicano speak to students at the World AIDS Day event in the SAC on Monday night. World AIDS Day began in 1988 in an effort to raise awareness about the disease.
CAMPUS
Austin Police Department officers could soon be getting body cameras that would allow them to record public interactions while on duty, according to an APD official. Ely Reyes, APD police technology commander, said APD posted a request for information about body camera specifics on the city website in November. The city has until Dec. 10 to respond to the request, after which APD will analyze the information and determine how to move forward with its plans, Reyes said. According to Reyes, although public demand for body cameras may have increased because of public shootings and the events in Ferguson, Missouri, APD has tested body cameras for its officers before, in 2011 and 2012, but the technology was still fairly new at that time. “We’ve had this on our road map for a while — now we’re waiting for the technology to integrate into our systems,” Reyes said. APD currently has digital cameras in all of its patrol vehicles, but Reyes said what they capture is limited to the view from the front of the car. APD wants cameras that will integrate with the current incar system and also expand to bikes and pedestrian officers. “Our goal is to capture as many citizen interactions as possible,” Reyes said. The cameras would not be turned on the whole time
CAMERAS page 3
CAMPUS
UT ROTC program named best in region Five professors elected
to be members of AAAS
By Adam Hamze @adamhamz
The Army named the University’s ROTC program as the best battalion in its region, which is composed of eight states in the Southwest. The region — which includes Texas, Arkansas, Wyoming, Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, Utah and Oklahoma — contains a total of 36 collegiate ROTC programs and is overseen by the 5th ROTC Brigade of the U.S. Army. A committee is established within the brigade to help analyze which programs are worthy of the award, and Col. Ricardo Morales made the final decision. Brigade Deputy Commander Steven Van Straten said fitness tests, Army potential, the quality and number of cadets produced and the relations between the programs and their universities are all taken into account when making the decision. “We look at some concrete data in the form of metrics, in
By Chris Mendez @thedailytexan
Photo courtesy Peter Seidule
The University’s ROTC program was named the best in its region, which consists of eight states in and near the Southwest.
how the cadets fare and what kind of officers are coming out of the program,” Van Straten said. “There are a lot of different metrics used to assess cadet quality. … In all those regards, when looking at it holistically, [UT] did a fantastic job.”
Travis Habhab, lieutenant colonel and military science department chair, said he believes the award helps recognize not only the support the program receives from the community but the hard work that its members put in
throughout the year. “We’re extremely honored to have the award because there are so many other good schools,” Habhab said. “What’s put us over the top
ROTC page 3
Five University professors have been elected to become members of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, an international nonprofit organization, for their contributions to various areas of scientific research. Neuroscience professor Richard Aldrich, chemical engineering professor Roger Bonnecaze, mechanical engineering professor Arumugam Manthiram, molecular biology professor Stanley Roux and pharmacy professor Karen Vasquez will all be honored by the AAAS in February 2015. “I think the 21st century has enormous challenges,” said Gerald Fink, AAAS president and genetics professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. “There are issues like climate warming, water usage,
This kind of research is happening all over the world. I’m humbled and honored to receive this recognition, and I’ll continue [the research] I’m doing. —Roger Bonnecaze, Mechanical engineering professor
agriculture and food energy. Everyone talks about these, but the solutions are scientific solutions.” The professors’ research will aim to provide some solutions to these important issues in the international scientific community. Aldrich has discovered more about gated
AAAS page 2
NEWS
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REASON TO PARTY
Geological sciences graduate students studies monsoons with a group of research aboard a drilling vessel. PAGE 3
Larry Jackson was Austin’s Mike Brown. PAGE 4
Longhorns only opition at point guard is Javan Felix. PAGE 6
Radio-television-film student pursues rap career. PAGE 8
It’s time to make compassion cool again. PAGE 4
Texas and Texas A&M fight over prized recruit. PAGE 6
Four student-produced plays premiere this week. PAGE 8
So you made it to Thanksgiving, check out The Daily’s Texan’s website, and you might just make it to Christmas. dailytexanonline.com
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Tuesday, December 2, 2014
NEWS
FRAMES featured photo Volume 115, Issue 77
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Mechanical engineering sophomore Darren Tan practices tight rope walking in the Honors Quad on Monday afternoon.
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PHYSICS
continues from page 1 TA positions,” Roycroft said. Dan Knopf, associate dean for graduate education in the College of Natural Sciences, could not say whether this plan was being considered but said the College of Natural Sciences would not take any action that would negatively impact graduate students or the quality of undergraduate classes. “I can’t speak to what physics is considering, but I cannot imagine any scenario in which graduate students would lose support or undergraduate classes would go
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 email managingeditor@ dailytexanonline.com.
COPYRIGHT Copyright 2014 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.
AAAS
continues from page 1
TOMORROW’S WEATHER
High
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Wise words from Tina Belcher
conformation changes in ion channels, whereas Roux has provided a clearer understanding about the role of environmental stimuli in regulating plant growth and
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unstaffed,” Knopf said. The petition is worded, “We the physics graduate students oppose any plan that would result in loss of funding for continuing graduate students,” according to Frank Male, physics graduate research assistant and member of the welfare committee. “It’s basically saying that leaving graduate students without funding in the middle of their program is a terrible, terrible idea that we don’t support,” Male said in an email. Male said a lot of the student concern about the potential cuts stems from the financial support it offers to
development. According to the University, Vasquez has clarified that structures of the DNA can act as mutagens by changing the DNA and causing a high frequency of mutations as a result. Bonnecaze said he has created theoretical models and designs of complex fluids and nanomanufacturing systems. “Most of my research is focused on developing computational techniques and simulations of concentrated suspensions of particles in order to predict their rheology and self-assembly behavior,” Bonnecaze said. “The rheology simulations allow the design of fluids with the desired flow properties for advanced coatings, drilling fluids and personal care products. The self-assembly simulations will enable the design of solution-based processes to make memory and photonics for next generation electronic devices.” Through this research, Bonnecaze has studied how these particles flow and how to ensure the behavior of these particles. Manthiram said his research intends to create cheaper, more efficient batteries, “My research focuses on new materials which can lower the costs and operation of light,” Manthiram said. “[These] new materials can lower the cost of the [car] battery and increase the life of the battery.” Manthiram’s research also concentrates on novel synthesis methods and the relationship between properties and performance of materials in order to address the cost and efficiency of energy sources. “This kind of research is happening all over the world,” Manthiram said. “I’m humbled and honored to receive this recognition, and I’ll continue [the research] I’m doing.”
students. He said most graduate students in the physics department are offered a TA position or research assistant position as a way to pay for their degree. Knopf said many students are offered these types of positions as a source of income to stipend their education across all natural sciences. “The way that physics works is that all students get through without having to pay,” Male said. “They are either given research assistantships or teaching assistantships. The teaching assistantships also provide
help for professors, so they’re kind of necessary for fulfilling the actual teaching mission of the University and of the department.” According to Roycroft, there is also student concern that, if the TA positions were cut, the department as a whole could decrease in size over time. “Less money for TAs means either kicking current students out or recruiting fewer students in the future,” Roycroft said. “So that would sort of necessitate fewer grad students overall.” Robert Stevens, physics
graduate student and TA, said that, if the cuts were to happen, he thinks graduate students in their third year or higher would be impacted the most in terms of job loss. “That plan is troubling because the department has contracts signed with incoming students that they are guaranteed employment for the first two years,” Stevens said. “So all the cuts will have to be absorbed by students that are third year or higher.” Graduate students and TAs are waiting to find out whether these cuts will be implemented.
W&N 3
NEWS
3
Tuesday, December 2, 2014
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Grad student sets sail to research monsoons By Sebastian Vega @sebantoniovega
Kaustubh Thirumalai, geological sciences graduate student, was selected to research alongside 30 international scientists aboard a scientific drilling vessel. Thirumalai began his expedition in India on Saturday to study the development of monsoons. The expedition will last until Jan. 29. Thirumalai, originally from Bangalore, India, grew up experiencing monsoons and said his adviser encouraged him to apply for the research expedition. “The application process for [an International Ocean Discovery Program] expedition is a competitive one,” Thirumalai said in an email. “Essentially, you have to propose some scientific endeavor that is in-line directly (or indirectly) with the expeditions’ objectives.” According to Thirumalai, the research will focus on testing sediment to predict future climate changes. Thirumalai said the expedition is titled Indian Monsoon Rainfall and its main goal is to collect sediments in the Bay of Bengal. “The Indian monsoon is a very important climate phenomenon and many people (~billions) directly depend on it for their livelihood,” Thirumalai said. “Ultimately, the goal of the expedition is to understand how rainfall varied over the Indian subcontinent so we can better understand how drastically that climatic system is capable of changing, so we can better inform ourselves and anticipate future changes.” Thirumalai’s job as a
Ultimately, the goal of the expedition is to understand how rainfall varied over the Indian subcontinent so we can better understand how drastically that climatic system is capable of changing, so we can better inform ourselves and anticipate future changes. —Kaustubh Thirumalai, Geological sciences graduate student
sedimentologist will be to study any sediments brought onto the ship. He said he will make detailed reports about the sediment that is collected through their drilling. “My job will be to examine, inspect and characterize the cores as they come on deck,” Thirumalai said. “I will be looking into the type of sediment that we collect and will be describing the characteristics of the mud, its age, its color, its makeup and so on.” Despite dramatic weather shifts, the drilling ship, called the JOIDES Resolution, should be safe throughout its expedition, Thirumalai said. “Since cyclone season is over, we should be pretty safe,” Thurmalai said. “Also, there aren’t any notorious instances of piracy or thievery amidst the Bay of Bengal, so it should be relatively safe. Although, I hope there are no big Indian Ocean earthquakes when we are out at sea!”
CAMERAS
continues from page 1 while an officer is on duty — only under certain circumstances, Reyes said. “We don’t have the ability to store 24/7 data because that takes up a lot of space, and a lot of it is not needed for anything,” Reyes said. “They would be turned on when an officer is interacting with the public or responding to a call.” Reyes said the department doesn’t yet have an estimate of how much the cameras will cost but said other departments have piloted the cameras. Reyes said the New York Police Department recently spent $60,000 to test the technology with 60 of its officers. Law professor Jennifer Laurin said body cameras are useful for accurate legal claims, especially when those claims involve use of force by the police. “Simply wearing body cameras can have the effect of deterring police from engaging in unnecessary or excessive use of force against the public,” Laurin said in an email. “Body cameras can also facilitate
Jenna VonHofe | Daily Texan Staff
Austin Police Department officers may soon be wearing body cameras, a new technology gaining recent public demand following events in Ferguson, Missouri, and increased police scrutiny.
better supervision of officers if recordings are regularly audited by supervisors.” Laurin said there are some privacy concerns raised by the use of body cameras, especially if police officers enter non-public spaces, such as homes or businesses. “If, for example, officers have discretion as to when cameras are on or off, the
monitoring benefits will be largely lost. This is another area where clear internal policies will be essential to protecting civilians’ rights,” Laurin said. Michael Lauderdale, a social work professor who focuses on criminal justice, said he was generally in favor of body cameras because they provide transparency.
GENDER continues from page 1 environment with reference to diseases such as AIDS. According to Houser, when there is a personal relationship with the environment, emotions play a large role in the daily life. This refers to a sick person who deals with his or her owns disease and is surrounded by society — its environment. Houser also said a harmonious nature between individuals and their respective environment should be at the center of politics. “What people feel can certainly be a form of knowledge,” Houser said. Stewart said there is often confusion and many questions when it comes to topics on sexuality, and it is important
to address them. During the event, she read a set of lines from her poems to express such confusion and its normality. “It is normal to fear what we don’t understand,” Stewart said. “Homosexuality is not covered within my curriculum when it should be, as it is important.” Advertising junior Kimberly Doughty said she believes bringing in speakers to the UT community is important to generate knowledge on topics related to gender and sexuality. “There are large misconceptions about things such as sexual health and relationships such as illnesses, and I think it’s really important to have such speakers here to
broaden our horizons, especially in a place where we may not be as educated,” Doughty said. “There’s always more opportunities to learn, and these speakers encourage us to want to learn.” According to Ola Ukaoma, a biology junior and peer educator in the Gender and Sexuality Center, engaging speakers are important to introduce to the student community as it’s a great way for them to learn. “Speakers have the ability to make things personal,” Ukaoma said. “There is a lot of information online that you can use and a lot of resources you can utilize, but a one-on-one conversation that is engaging is a good way to spread information to students.”
“The use of video cameras in [police] cars has been mainly positive and have served to protect the officers and the public,” Lauderdale said. “I think the experience would be similar for patrol officers. I think the potential benefits outweigh the costs, and some of the issues will be solved only by trial and error.”
ROTC
continues from page 1 is the way our cadets — seniors in particular — have performed this year.” The ROTC program, which is in the College of Liberal Arts, trains cadets to have the opportunity to become commissioned officers after graduation. The program includes students from a number of colleges in Austin, such as UT, St. Edward’s University and Hutson-Tillotson University. Peter Seidule, ROTC public affairs officer and history senior, said the award highlights the improvements the battalion has seen over the years. “It’s great to see us on that list,” Seidule said. “Historically, especially in the last 10 years, UT hasn’t been famous as far as ROTC. This is something we’ve really tried to build on. These cadets have put in a lot of time, and it’s paid off.”
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Knowledge Through Practice
4
RILEY BRANDS, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF / @TexanEditorial Tuesday, December 2, 2014
COLUMN
EDITORIAL
Lawmakers should ban corporal To effect positive social change, punishment in next Lege session make compassion cool again The next session of the state Legislature will undoubtedly regurgitate many uncomfortable and divisive issues, the future of educational policy being chief among them. But for one issue under that umbrella, the prohibition of corporal punishment in schools, there should be little debate. Corporal punishment — hitting, beating, striking and otherwise abusing a pupil at the hands of a teacher or administrator — has been unanimously castigated by pertinent professionals as ineffective in correcting bad behavior. Furthermore, recent studies have shown that — even for discipline as innocuous as spankings from parents — such physical punishments have a lasting, deleterious impact on the child. But while the relationship between a child and a parent is rather complex, the physical interaction between students and their educators should be kept to a strict minimum. In a recent bombshell report, the Houston Chronicle reported that almost 30,000 students were struck at school over the course of the most recent academic year. Thirty-one states and the District of Columbia already ban these laceration-causing inflictions under the schoolhouse roof. Additionally, because Texas gives broad discretion for local school districts to implement their own regulations, a majority of districts within the state have independently banned the practice, including every major city (such as Austin).
But most of the state’s rural regions, particularly in the eastern portion, have soldiered on nonetheless with the outdated tradition. Smaller cities such as Amarillo, Beaumont and Lubbock perpetuate it as well. As the Chronicle report suggested, with deeply ingrained local and religious values largely driving support for these reprehensible acts, only an act of the state Legislature could totally cure Texas of this ailment literally afflicting our schoolchildren. State Rep. Alma Allen, D-Houston, has fought tirelessly during her many years in the Legislature to ban the practice, but hers and others’ bills have never made it out of committee. We hope that next year, in light of even more indisputable research showing the damage of corporal punishment and crystallizing events such as the Adrian Peterson incident, in which an NFL star spanked his 4-year-old son with a tree branch, the Legislature takes needed steps to ban this practice once and for all. Proponents of this practice often point to biblical inspiration. “Spare the rod, spoil the child,” a passage from Proverbs, is ubiquitous among defenses of corporal punishment. Other forms of discipline are tried and true; the same studies that discredit the effectiveness of hitting have shown non-violent strategies to be far more successful. It’s time for school districts to exclusively implement them.
COLUMN
Story of Larry Jackson adds local resonance to Ferguson narrative By Mukund Rathi Guest Columnist
On July 26, 2013, Larry Eugene Jackson Jr. went to Benchmark Bank on West 35th Street. The Austin Police Department’s then-Detective Charles Kleinert, who was investigating an unrelated robbery that occurred earlier in the day, began questioning Jackson. Jackson then left and Kleinert chased after him on foot, eventually commandeering a civilian vehicle (meaning he stopped a car, got in, and ordered the motorist to continue the chase). Kleinert hunted Jackson to underneath the Shoal Creek bridge at 38th Street and shot him in the back of the neck, killing him. Jackson’s autopsy report showed that he had two fractured ribs and several contusions, and that Kleinert’s gun had been pressed to his neck when the shot was fired, which provides serious doubts about Kleinert’s claim to Internal Affairs that the shot was accidental. Jackson was unarmed, had committed no crime, and was black. In Austin and cities across the country, not just Ferguson, there is a Mike Brown: an innocent person gunned down by the police for being in the wrong place, at the wrong time, with the wrong skin color. APD immediately undertook a campaign to smear Jackson and defend Kleinert. Jackson was planning to pick up his children later that day, and when he didn’t show, his mother filed a missing person’s report. APD stalled for a full day before informing her about the shooting of her son. APD Assistant Chief Brian Manley argued, without evidence, that Jackson was at the bank to “commit a fraud.” Presumably, this somehow justified the following chase, assault and murder. Notably, while Jackson’s intentions were heavily scrutinized (despite his innocence), Kleinert’s were not, despite his unwarranted violence. According to the Austin Chronicle, the motorist (whose car was commandeered) was “unnerved” by Kleinert, who “did not effectively identify himself ” or explain the situation, and instead shouted “Go! Go! Go!” to drive after Jackson, who “was merely walking along the sidewalk.” Despite this erratic, unwarranted behavior, APD pushed a narrative which aimed to ensure that, as Larry’s older sister and only sibling LaKiza Fowler explained, “the black man has his reputation smeared.” The APD’s defense of Kleinert went further than simply smearing Jackson. Despite his potentially criminal actions, Kleinert was allowed to fully retire in October 2013. This caused all three official investigations into his killing of Jackson, and any potential disciplinary action, to be canceled. There were two ongoing investigations at the time, by APD and by the Citizen Review Panel, the latter of which reviews deadly use-of-force cases. The third and already concluded investigation was by Internal Affairs. Kleinert’s retirement meant that the city could not release the Internal Affairs investigation’s file and conclusions. Moreover, Kleinert will still receive his
police pension, which amounts to more than $70,000 annually. This metaphorical Austin-Ferguson connection underlies a broader point about the prevalence of violent racism in the US. This is empirically reflected in the 2012 Operation Ghetto Storm report by the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement, which found that there were 313 extrajudicial killings of black people by police, security guards, and vigilantes in 2012, averaging one every 28 hours. And because of the lack of federal and local police accountability on recording such killings, 313 is likely an underestimate. However, the metaphor of Ferguson is not simply about the murder of Mike Brown – it is also about the new generation of young, multiracial activists, organizations and communities which began fighting back against police violence. The same is true in Austin. An Austin-based organization called the People’s Task Force (PTF), formed after George Zimmerman shot and killed Trayvon Martin in Florida in 2012, began working with the Jackson family. PTF has held rallies, marches and teach-ins to spread awareness about the police murder of Larry Jackson. According to UT alum and PTF organizer Lucian Villasenor, their petition (online and physical), which calls for a trial, no plea deal and the firing of APD chief Art Acevedo, has received more than 900 signatures. As a result of this political organizing by the Jackson family and PTF, Kleinert was indicted on charges of manslaughter in May 2014 for the killing of Jackson. According to KXAN, Kleinert’s attorney attested to this, saying he was “not surprised” by the indictment because of “all of the publicity” around the shooting. As such, serious discussions on Ferguson, racism or police violence are incomplete without addressing the resistance, especially because these struggles are ongoing. The Jackson family, well over a year after Larry was killed, is still waiting for justice despite the indictment. Kleinert’s pre-trial hearing has been postponed four times since the original date of June 24, 2014. This is likely because of negotiations for a plea deal, which would simply give Kleinert a slap on the wrist instead of a full trial and potential conviction. This also means the Travis County District Attorney and other official institutions, not simply APD, are involved in bargaining for Kleinert’s benefit, rather than carrying out justice against racism. Admirably, LaKiza Fowler continues to fight for her brother, telling The Austin Chronicle that “Kleinert needs to be in prison” to set an example and show that “black and brown people shouldn’t have to fear for their lives every time they walk out the door… Their lives matter.” LaKiza will speak about the killing of her brother on Thursday on campus, and PTF is calling for a rally outside the Travis County Courthouse at Kleinert’s rescheduled pre-trial hearing on Friday. Rathi is a computer science honors junior from Austin.
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.
Illustration by Shannon Butler | Daily Texan Staff
By Jeremi Suri
Daily Texan Columnist @JeremiSuri
I am not sure how to measure it, but I am certain that American society is filled with more public expressions of hatred today than anytime since the 1960s. Public officials now routinely condemn their adversaries — fellow Americans — as “evil,” “weak,” “dangerous” and “lawless.” The personal accusations recklessly thrown at established leaders — in business, in universities and in government — reveal a willingness to take people down at all costs. This venom spills into our everyday lives, where it is now acceptable to condemn citizens we do not like and deny attention to those who are suffering and in need of help. We seem to have defined freedom in the last few years as the right to hate those who are not like us or do not serve our interests. Of course none of this is new. I am a historian who has studied, taught and written extensively about the presence of hatred in human society. I am also a Jew with a South Asian background, so I have witnessed violent hatred in some of its most extreme forms. What has changed in the last few years is the willingness of educated, established and elite citizens in our society — including students — to accept and reproduce hatred. It fills the way we talk about presidents, administrators, police officers, protesters and others. It underpins our willful silence about poverty, injustice, exploitation and bullying behavior. We are all so rich with resources and possibilities as Americans, but we have decided in recent years to use what we have to help ourselves, neglect others and justify it all by hating those who stand in the way or are left behind. What I call the “common hatred” of our current lives is more prevalent because its traditional counterbalance, shame, has been lost. This is how, as a historian, I know that we are more hateful today. In the 1970s and 1980s citizens in cities were ashamed of the poverty, the homelessness, the poor-performing schools and the violence around them. They made these public issues of the first importance, and they showed their civic sensibility by working toward common solutions with people very different from themselves. In the 1990s and early 2000s business leaders and public advocates were ashamed of the racial and
What has changed in the last few years is the willingness of educated, established and elite citizens in our society — including students — to accept and reproduce hatred. It fills the way we talk about presidents, administrators, police officers, protesters and others. It underpins our willful silence about poverty, injustice, exploitation and bullying...
gender inequalities in society, the poor health of whole communities and the digital divide that separated the technologically able from those left out. They transformed the culture of leading organizations to embrace diversity and they made real policy reforms a top priority. Both Presidents Bill Clinton (a Democrat) and George W. Bush (a Republican) emphasized “compassion” when they ran for office, and they criticized those who defined society by profit and self-interest alone. Oh, how far we have fallen in a few short years! When was the last time a major public figure spoke of compassion for those who have different views? When was the last time we acted, as a society, to put our resources behind reforms that manifested compassion for the suffering and needy rather than simply more for those who already have a lot? We have lost the shame of our selfishness, and we have embraced selfrighteous hatred in its place. How else do we explain the millionaires who more stridently than ever condemn public efforts to provide the less fortunate with education, health care and housing? The debate is no longer about government, which certainly needs reform. Our public rhetoric displays a hatred for those who, many now believe, cannot help themselves. Those who feel hated by the privileged adopt a return hatred of their own. Poor, repressed and unrepresented populations do not believe they can succeed in the present system. They do not buy into the American Dream and they do not think of themselves as stakeholders in our society. This removes the shame surrounding violence and criminality, allowing more of that behavior to manifest itself in selfdefeating ways after a public incident or an unfavorable court decision. If you see the rule of law as a protection for hatred, then it becomes easy to hate the law. I opened this column with a reference to the 1960s because I believe that was the last time our society witnessed public hatred on a similar scale in the violence of Southern segregation, Black Power and various extreme groups on the political left and right. The great accomplishment of the 1960s, and the civil rights movement in particular, was to shame Americans into rejecting the public hatreds that had festered so long around race, religion, gender and sexual orientation. Hatred did not disappear, but it became less acceptable in public and therefore less manifest in our society’s behavior. The time has come to restore our shame and compassion. A new generation, like the civil rights generation, must stand up and say, “No more!” We must stop attacking one another and devote our resources to working together again. This begins on our campuses. Reach out this holiday season and work with someone or some group you disdained before. Find common ground, define a project that helps those in need beyond yourself and create a model for others. Make compassion cool again. Take it upon yourself to help repair the world and reject those who cannot transcend their hate. Suri is a professor in the Department of History and the LBJ School of Public Affairs.
ONLINE Our commentary doesn’t stop on the page. For more of our thoughts on the issues of the day, check out our blog, A Matter of Opinion, at dailytexanonline.com .
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CLASS 5
LIFE&ARTS
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Tuesday, December 2, 2014
RAP continues from page 8 but we are very welcoming to each other’s ideas.” Ogletree receives thousands of messages a day from fans. He said he is amazed that he can communicate with people from all over the world and that they take the time to listen to his music. “[My fans] are so nice, but I have to be careful of what I post,” Ogletree said. “Being a celebrity is not everything and not always
glamorous. I just want to keep it as real as I can and just make a difference and impact people positively. I just think, ‘Can I tour and impact these people that are going to be leaders of the world?’” Ogletree said his life goal is to inspire people through his art. While working on several art projects, Ogletree recently started acting. Despite this other pursuit, he would like to continue
working on music. “Music is important because — no matter what is going on — music is never going to die,” Ogletree said. “I think music is the number one thing people connect to. Everyone can listen to music in a second online, and it really makes a huge difference. It brings people together. If you take time to listen to music, it opens your eyes. It’s cool to think about.”
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PLAYS continues from page 8 work with MFA directors and designers and undergraduate actors,” Oglesby said. Shaw said it has been a collaborative process because the theatre students working on different productions use the same resources. “The thing that I really love about [UTNT] is that we all work together,” Shaw said. “We have the same design team — it’s all on the same set basically — so it feels like a big project that all of us are working on together.” According to MFA playwright Brian Kettler, whose play, “Lyla School,” debuts
Saturday, the playwrights are involved in the rehearsals and work closely with directors and actors. This has allowed the writers to rewrite scenes up to a week before the performance. “I’ve been revising the play during rehearsals and trying out new scenes,” Kettler said. “[The actors] have been giving me feedback and are really open to try brand new scenes on the spot, so really working with the actors and the director has really helped me understand the play and the revisions I want
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to make.” The actors and writers said UTNT has been a great opportunity within the University, and they have been able to refine their skills while working on a new play. “I think that it is so important and amazing that UT puts on this festival every year for so many different people with different interests to come together and collaborate,” Starr said. “It not only helps the writers develop their plays, but it also helps everyone in the process to further themselves in their own craft.”
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GARRETT CALLAHAN, SPORTS EDITOR | @texansports Tuesday, December 2, 2014
MEN’S BASKETBALL
Longhorns leaning on Felix after injury
SIDELINE NFL DOLPHINS
By Evan Berkowitz @Evan_Berkowitz
No. 6 Texas’ greatest assets were supposed to be its depth and 11-man rotation. Head coach Rick Barnes has plenty to choose from in the front court with four rotation players who are at least 6 feet 9 inches. He has a plethora of shooting guards and a handful of small forwards. But the one position at which he doesn’t have many options is the one he needs most right now — point guard. After a flagrant foul left sophomore point guard Isaiah Taylor in a cast with a broken left wrist, Texas was left without a true floor general, which, in many people’s eyes, is the most important player. Taylor can dictate the play of the game. He has improved his jump shot. He can drive. He can lead. He can defend. But all that is wrapped in a cast on the Longhorn bench. Taylor will remain sidelined indefinitely. He’s going to be out until at least conference play, if not longer. Until then, the Longhorns must find an alternative. Unfortunately for them, there aren’t options, just junior point guard Javan Felix. In his two games since taking the starting point guard position, Felix hasn’t really left the floor. He played 35 minutes against Cal and 37 minutes at UConn
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After an injury to starting point guard Isaiah Taylor, the Longhorns lone option has been junior Javan Felix. In his first two games as a starter, Felix has averaged 9.5 points and four assists.
on Sunday. “He got pushed in that role as a freshman,” Barnes said. “He went through three-fourths of a season. We knew he’d run the team.” Felix, in his freshman year, took over during Myck Kabongo’s suspension, leading Texas to a first-round exit in the CBI Tournament. He was the only point guard option on that team, just like this year. The other possible point guards on the team now are junior Demarcus
Holland and sophomore Kendal Yancy. Felix has done an admirable job since filling in, averaging 9.5 points, four assists and 3.5 turnovers. With him at the helm, however, the offense has a noticeable stagnancy. There’s a lot more passing around the perimeter and lot less penetration. “We’re a good driving team, and that’s something we do is penetrate to the basket,” Taylor said. Texas is not without the
lightning quick sophomore on the floor. It was evident Sunday at UConn. With the game on the line in the final seconds, Felix tried to take his man off the dribble. He got a step in front of the elbow before being stopped in no man’s land, slipping and throwing the ball away. That’s just not his position. Felix is a shooter. He likes to find his spot behind the arc and let it loose. “He’s a point guard,” Holland joked before the season. “All he does
is shoot.” Felix knew he’d have to handle the point at times before the season started, but he didn’t know he’d be the main guy. When UTArlington (3-3) strolls into Austin at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Felix will be at the helm, running Texas’ (6-0) offense just as he did Sunday. “Sometimes I have to be a point guard,” Felix said earlier in the season. Well, that “sometimes” is now the foreseeable future.
FOOOTBALL
Texas lackluster offense looks for improvement By Jori Epstein @Jori_Epstein
Heading into the home matchup against BYU in September, Texas’ offensive line made headlines. Following a series of suspensions and injuries, the linemen boasted just five combined starts, making them the youngest starting line in the nation. Behind center, sophomore quarterback Tyrone Swoopes didn’t add to the number. Although he’d seen a few minutes on the field during blowout games in 2013, his starting record still sat at 0-0. The game’s final score — 41-7, in BYU’s favor — reflected the team’s youth. Even so, the coaching staff tried to remain positive. “I know [Swoopes] may have thrown an interception there late, but for him to be a first-time starter and compete as well as he did was unbelievable,” head coach Charlie Strong said after the game on Sept. 6. Ten games and 5 losses later, inexperience no longer works as an excuse. Swoopes, the offensive linemen and running backs have all shown sparks of greatness this season. Their
recent wins against West Virginia and Oklahoma State featured a gelling offensive attack. Against TCU, all of that seemed like a distant memory. Instead of reflecting on the progress already achieved, Strong said the team showed its need for progress in the future. “We have to get better — you can’t look at 6-6 and say it’s the best, it’s really good, you made improvement,” Strong said. “We have to get better. We know this. … It’s all about managing the game, looking at yourself and making sure do we have this team ready to go.” The defense, it could be argued, was ready to go Thursday. Holding TCU to a season-low 368 total yards, Texas even forced two turnovers and two punts in the third quarter. But the offense struggled, allowing five turnovers for 98 yards. Four of those turnovers came via Swoopes’ interceptions. The performance left Swoopes stunned. “I just couldn’t get anything going — I don’t really know what else it was,” Swoopes said. “I’ll just have to watch and see what happened. I knew I wasn’t playing well.”
@mschap2
From 1894 to 2011, the Longhorns faced off against the Texas A&M Aggies a total of 118 times, holding a record of 76-37-5 against their in-state rivals. Although the rivalry is often deemed one of the best in college sports, the rivalry ended before the 2012 season, as the Aggies moved to the SEC, effectively ending the annual matchup between schools. Because of Texas A&M’s conference change, the Longhorns and Aggies
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Sophomore quarterback Tyrone Swoopes and the Texas offense have had their ups and downs this season but are ultimately looking to improve in order to restore Texas to its former glory.
Texas’ limited rushing game also contributed to its 48-10 loss. The Longhorns’ ground threat virtually disappeared, as they ran for just 90 yards — 61 of which Swoopes recorded — after averaging more than 185 through the last three games. Junior center Taylor Doyle said the offensive line shoulders that blame. “It’s tough,” Doyle said. “We didn’t find a rhythm on
offense. We didn’t win the turnover battle, and that falls on the offensive line, you know, keeping Tyrone clean. It is disappointing, but we know that we have a lot of work to do, and we’re going to stay positive going into this bowl game.” Entering the postseason, the Longhorns know they need to take advantage of extra practice time. Their chances to improve and make necessary
adjustments before month’s end may be limited. But the efforts and the tone will carry over to next season. “When we start up again in January, that’s what it’s going to be about,” Strong said. “Some guys may not like it. They may not want to be here. That’s fine. But we gotta get this program back to where it’s going to be — where it needs to be. It’s going to happen; we’ll get it back there.”
Longhorns, Aggies battle for prized Texas recruit have completely moved their battles off the field to the hotly contested recruiting sphere. But the stakes are uniquely high this season in the recruiting battle between the Longhorns and Aggies, as the top-ranked linebacker prospect in the nation is currently deciding whether to take his talents to Austin or College Station next fall. Malik Jefferson, the 6-foot2-inch linebacker from Poteet High School in Mesquite, is not only the topranked linebacker prospect in the nation but is the
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RANGERS
second-ranked prospect in the entire state of Texas per Rivals.com. On Nov. 24, Jefferson tweeted out a picture with a list of the seven schools he was still considering. Jefferson’s list of schools comprised Baylor, LSU, Oklahoma, Texas, Texas A&M, TCU and UCLA, but, according to most predictions, it is now a dead heat between the Longhorns and the Aggies for Jefferson’s services next year. Jefferson has visited LSU and Texas A&M and is currently in the process of scheduling a visit to come
out to Austin to meet with head coach Charlie Strong and the rest of the Texas coaching staff. Jefferson is touted as a hybrid defender who can play both outside linebacker and defensive end. In addition to rushing the quarterback, he was primarily used to aggressively attack the line of scrimmage. At “The Opening,” an esteemed camp for top recruits held in Oregon every July, Jefferson clocked in a 4.39-second 40-yard dash and recorded a 39.7inch vertical leap — top marks for linebackers at
the event. With a defense that will have five starters graduating in the spring — including linebackers Steve Edmond and Jordan Hicks — the Longhorns are looking for an influx of talent on the defensive side of the ball. And many believe Jefferson, with his remarkable athleticism and playmaking ability, to be a game changer — a player who could possibly shape the Longhorns defense in years to come. But only if Texas is able to attract the young star away from College Station.
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Stanford
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Wisconsin
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Washington
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Penn State
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Florida
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Texas
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North Carolina
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Florida State
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Colorado State
10 Illinois
SPORTS BRIEFLY Eckerman, Elliott receive top Big 12 volleyball honors
Texas volleyball’s senior outside hitter Haley Eckerman was honored with her third consecutive Big 12 Player of the Year award while head coach Jerritt Elliott was named Big 12 Coach of the Year on Monday. Eckerman’s thirdstraight player of the year honor places her in record books as she is only the second player in conference history to win the award three consecutive time Eckerman was also named to the All-Big 12 first team alongside teammates senior middle blocker/ outside hitter Khat Bell and sophomore middle blocker Chiaka Ogbogu. Junior outside hitter Amy Neal was named an honorable mention. Freshman libero Cat McCoy was awarded a spot in the All-Big 12 freshman team. —Nick Castillo
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COMICS
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Tuesday, December 2, 2014
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LAUREN L’AMIE, LIFE&ARTS EDITOR | @thedailytexan Tuesday, December 2, 2014
CAMPUS
Student finds online success with rap videos By Lauren Zimmer @laurenthenerd
Troy Ogletree, radio-television-film junior, has more than 24,000 followers on Twitter. Ogletree is a rapper. He sings original songs, covers and remixes. After uploading a cover of “Can’t Hold Us” by Macklemore on YouTube, he gained a large following online. “In high school, I was too shy to perform because I didn’t know if it would be accepted,” Ogletree said. “But I kept writing, and that’s how I got into music. The responses online solidified that I could do this.” Ogletree said he decided to pursue rap music because he admires the honesty and lack of censorship it possesses. His favorite rappers include Childish Gambino and Kendrick Lamar. “I love writing lines that people can connect to, and I like to make people laugh,” Ogletree said. Ogletree said his lyrics are playful, but he wants his fans to know his messages are serious. He frequently raps about issues such as self-esteem and bullying. “A lot of people are depressed, and I want people to feel they aren’t the only ones going through the struggle,” Ogletree said. “I’ve been very blessed, but I want to use that to tell people it is OK and to keep people positive.” Three times a week after school, Ogletree meets with
Stephanie Tacy | Daily Texan Staff
Troy Ogletree, radio-television-film junior, spends his spare time performing original songs as well as covers and remixes for his YouTube channel. Ogletree has recently started working on an EP titled No Label set to release next year.
Thomas Cardwell, computer science and music recording technology junior. Cardwell met Ogletree in an introductory radiotelevision-film course and realized they both had a passion for music. Cardwell is now producing Ogletree’s
EP, No Label, which will be released next year. “I’m from a more technical musical background and [Ogletree] has a completely different background,” Cardwell said. “When we collaborate with the songwriting process, we refine the
sounds together, and I enjoy the rhyme of the language.” Cardwell said it is crucial for an artist to gain recognition online. “You don’t have to make a record with a label anymore because of the Internet,” Cardwell said. “The
social networking aspect of producing is huge, and it’s just amazing.” José Cruz, radio-television-film junior, met Ogletree during a radiotelevision-film course last year and is now the cinematographer for Ogletree’s
music videos. “I think the reason we work so well together is because we have the same goals and are in [radio-televisionfilm],” Cruz said. “We sometimes have different styles,
RAP page 5
THEATER & DANCE
UT New Theatre to debut four original student plays By Noah Brooks @NTBrooks1011
The UT New Theatre is an annual opportunity for select student playwrights to have their work directed, acted and produced by fellow UT students. From Wednesday-Sunday, four plays written by third-year Master’s of Fine Arts playwrights will be produced. Each play will be performed twice during the festival and will be held in the Lab Theatre. The plays at UTNT range anywhere from stage readings to full productions. According to Morgan Starr, a theatre and dance senior who will be acting in “Karlstad” on Wednesday and Saturday, the full production allows writers to expand and edit their work in an extended rehearsal schedule, “The playwrights are able to pick if they want a shorter or longer rehearsal process,” Starr said. “Because writers
who want the longer rehearsal process are generally wanting to really dive into the work and looking at making a lot of changes and edits to the play.” According to MFA playwright Patrick Shaw, who wrote “Karlstad,” UTNT provides the opportunity for him and his fellow playwrights to show some of their best work. “This is our chance to see one of our favorite pieces that we worked on the stage and to share it with the community,” Shaw said. UTNT is a good way for the writers to display what they’ve learned at UT and work with fellow students, according to Nicole Oglesby, English and theatre and dance junior. Oglesby will act in “Hold Me Well,” which debuts Thursday. “It’s a really great opportunity for the third-years to show off the skills that they learned over the course of their graduate program and
PLAYS page 5
Photo courtesy of Lawrence Peart, UT Department of Theatre and Dance
Delanté Keys plays Ahmed, and Kristen Raney plays Mary in the UT New Theatre festival, featuring the work of several UT playwrights.
CAMPUS
Symphony Orchestra recognizes World War anniversaries By Alejandra Martinez @ahl3h
Moving images and music will work together in an event Wednesday night to mark two anniversaries — the 100th anniversary of the start of World War I and the 75th anniversary of the start of World War II. The event, titled “The World at War,” will feature UT’s Symphony Orchestra along with a mixed media video presentation to accompany the music being performed. Gerhardt Zimmermann, director of orchestral activities at UT, said this event was a collaborative effort between the symphony and the Texas Performing Arts Center. This is not the first
time the two entities have worked together. “Last year, we gave the world premiere of a concerto for string quartet and orchestra featuring the Baroque Quartet,” Zimmermann said. “And this year we’re doing this collaboration because it’s the 100th anniversary of the beginning of World War I and the 75th anniversary of the beginning of World War II.” The concert features three pieces: Dmitri Shostakovich’s “Symphony No. 7,” John Russo’s “Salute,” and Donald Grantham’s “The War Prayer.” While the first piece has been performed many times before, the latter two are newer pieces. Grantham’s “The War
Prayer” will have its world premiere at the concert. “The John Russo was written exclusively for this,” Zimmermann said. “And I’ve been talking with [Donald] Grantham, the composer of the ‘[The] War Prayer’ for over three years [about] doing the premiere of his orchestrated version for orchestra and baritone voice.” Zimmermann said the event itself has been in the works for over a year, and the video portion accompanying the piece will be made up of a mix of media that includes both still images and film clips. “All the images in the film are images of the building up of a Nazi war machine, the Russian army,” Zimmermann said. “There are
both movie segments, and also photographic stills, and they’re all from that time frame.” By blending strong musical pieces together, such as Shostakovich’s “Symphony No. 7,” with images from the time period, Zimmermann hopes the performance will honor its historical context. “I think it will be one of the most powerful presentations that has ever been performed here,” Zimmermann said. “I’m hoping there will be a large number of retired military in the audience because we’re going to dedicate the John Russo piece to them.” Before the symphony, Zimmermann plans on speaking to the audience to provide context for the music
I’m hoping there will be a large number of retired military in the audience because we’re going to dedicate the John Russo piece to them. —Gerhardt Zimmermann, Director of orchestral activities
and images. “You don’t have to read a program note to know what’s going on in that symphony, and I’ll be speaking to the audience about that,” Zimmermann said. Overall, Zimmermann believes Wednesday night’s performance will be both
emotional and powerful. “I think this is going to be quite an event for the PAC and also The University of Texas Symphony Orchestra and for the Music Department and I think for the University,” Zimmermann said. “It will be a powerful event, I’ll say that.”