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COMICS PAGE 7
SPORTS PAGE 6
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CITY
Legislators recognize ‘Chris Kyle Day’
APD begins to enforce hands-free ordinance
By Eleanor Dearman @ellydearman
Gov. Greg Abbott declared Feb. 2 “Chris Kyle Day” in Texas to honor the decorated ex-Navy SEAL sniper killed last February. Abbott and legislators gathered at the Capitol on Monday to sign the proclamation honoring Kyle and other soldiers. Kyle is a hero, Abbott said, and should be honored for his service to the country. “[Heroes are people] who take risks and suffer
consequences most Americans cannot comprehend, but which all Americans should deeply honor,” Abbott said. Marine Corps veteran Eddie Ray Routh shot and killed Kyle and his friend Chad Littlefield in February 2013 at a shooting range in Erath County, Texas. Kyle, who had 160 confirmed kills throughout his four tours in Iraq, was honorably discharged in 2009. The film “American Sniper” recounts Kyle’s life and is nominated for Best Picture
at the Academy Awards. Kyle is just one of many veterans worth honoring, according to Abbott. “We have so many of those heroes from here in the state of Texas,” Abbott said. “One of them we are naming this day after, Chris Kyle, but as Chris himself would tell you, he’s one of a band of brothers and sisters who fought side by side for the greatest country in the history of the world.” This is not the first time the Texas legislature has addressed
Kyle’s service in Iraq. Legislators passed The “Chris Kyle Bill” during the 83rd legislative session in 2013. The bill requires that military experience, such as Kyle’s, be recognized on occupational licenses — making it easier for veterans to find jobs. Daniel Hamilton, international relations and global studies junior and Marine veteran, said he hopes the day will help civilians remember that people in the military are fighting for civilians’ everyday freedoms.
“The things we have aren’t just here because we woke up and got them this way,” said Hamilton, who served in both Iraq and Afghanistan. “They are here because a lot of young men and women have done an extraordinary thing with their life.” Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said he supports Abbott in making Feb. 2 “Chris Kyle Day.” “I appreciate his efforts to recognize this American and Texas hero whose
said the hijab is more than a headscarf. It also represents respectful interactions between genders. MSA will host an event Friday discussing this in depth called “How men wear the hijab.”
HIJAB page 3
ORDINANCE page 2
KYLE page 2
MSA shares culture on World Hijab Day By Eleanor Dearman @ellydearman
Carlo Nasisse | Daily Texan Staff
From left to right, Business freshman Subah Ahmed and neuroscience freshman Khadija Saifullah help undeclared sophomore Charlotte Friend put on a hijab. The Musim Student Association held an event Monday celebrating World Hijab Day.
“I wear hijab because it was solely my decision,” Siddiqui said. “No one asked me to wear it. The hijab is a way for me to get closer to God.” Wearing hijab creates a community among other Muslim women, said
Rawand Abdelghani, MSA president and psychology junior, who has worn hijab daily for almost a year. “It’s been a really good experience,” Abdelghani said. “Walking around campus, if you see someone else wearing hijab, even if you don’t
know them, there’s a little bond in a way. You say hi or you say salaam.” While Muslim men do not wear the garment, Usama Malik, MSA vice president and governor senior, said they are expected to be equally modest. Malik
@jcqlnwng
Jan. 1, a City of Austin ordinance declared Austin hands free, prohibiting the use of hand-held devices while driving or biking. After a 30-day grace period which ended Sunday, Austin Police Department can now issue citations for violations of the hands-free ordinance. “Luckily, we’re a safe city, but we want to be safer in traffic-related incidents,” Austin Police Department Commander Art Fortune said. APD reported 10 fatal traffic-related accidents in the month of January, an increase from two fatalities last January. Fortune said mobile phone use caused two of the 10 traffic accidents so far this year. The police department announced a safety initiative for the month of February, which directs officers to focus on violations of the hands-free ordinance. People who violate the ordinance can receive up to a $500 fine. Campus police will still not give citations to violators on campus, UTPD officer William Pieper said. “Because it’s a city ordinance, and the University of Texas is state property, the city ordinance doesn’t apply,” Piper said. “Since it is within the city limits of Austin, we could stop people, but I don’t venture we’d be issuing citations on campus. Our hope is that students understand the spirit behind that law.” Beyond Campus, people should expect citations now that the grace period is over, Fortune said. This does not mean every violator will receive a $500 fine, however.
CAMPUS
Students of all races, genders, cultures and religions tried on hijabs — traditional headscarves worn by Muslim women — for an event the Muslim Students’ Association (MSA) held Monday to celebrate World Hijab Day. World Hijab Day was on Sunday, but the MSA delayed its event to better engage the UT community in raising awareness about Muslim customs. MSA students were available to provide information about the culture and set up a table filled with a row of hijabs for students to try on. “There are so many people on campus who wear one, and I think it’s really important to see who these people are, why they wear it, why it empowers them and what it means to them,” said Maryam Siddiqui, MSA outreach director and Middle Eastern studies and Arabic junior. It is a common misconception that women are told they have to wear hijab, according to Siddiqui, who said she wears hijab to express her religion and finds the garment empowering.
By Jackie Wang
RESEARCH
BUSINESS
Professor receives prize for evolution research
Student startups seek platform to grow
By Cris Mendez @thedailytexan
In a speech Thursday, after receiving the David Starr Jordan Prize, integrative biology professor Dan Bolnick said he believes his research has the potential to help other scientists learn more about how genetic variations increase the survivability of a species. Bolnick received the award as recognition for his work studying the evolution of sticklebacks — a type of fish found in the Northern Hemisphere as far north as the Arctic Ocean — and other organisms. Professors from Cornell, Stanford and
Indiana University created the award to honor young scientists in biology whose research has the potential to impact the field in an innovative way. Bolnick’s research found a relationship between genetic variability and survivability of a species. “Are less variable populations more prone to extinction?” Bolnick said. “It turns out, they are. We can create more genetically variable populations — track [fruit flies] for 25 generations and see that less variable populations go extinct more often than
GENETICS page 3
By Ariana Guerra @ariewar08
In order for startup ideas to become a reality, entrepreneurs need a strong foundation, according to Tony Ayaz — serial entrepreneur and chief revenue officer of Founder.org — who visited the University on Monday to discuss key components of building a billion-dollar company. Founder.org is a company that invests in student entrepreneurs around the world to help them build companies. Ayaz said the company looks for ideas and startup teams it feels it can work with.
STARTUP page 3
Pual Horstman | Daily Texan Staff
Tony Ayaz, chief revenue officer of Founder.org and serial entrepreneur, discusses his eight secrets to building a successful startup company at the Liberal Arts Building on Monday evening.
NEWS
OPINION
SPORTS
LIFE&ARTS
ONLINE
Professor: Settlers play role in colinization. PAGE 3
Going abroad not enough to truly educate yourself. PAGE 4
Despite tough losses, Texas remains ranked. PAGE 6
McCombs students explore investing. PAGE 8
Try out for The Daily Texan.
Engineering students compete in BP competition. PAGE 3
Flipped classes have benefits but also costs. PAGE 4
Men’s golf looking to make a run for a title. PAGE 6
UT employee focuses on taking care of others. PAGE 8
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REASON TO PARTY
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Volume 115, Issue 91
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Economics freshman Jessica Lu reads in the Liberal Arts Building as her boyfriend, biology junior Phu Voung, naps on her lap. 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.
CORRECTION In the Feb. 2 edition of The Daily Texan, the story “Horned Frogs leap past Longhorns” incorrectly stated the day of the game. The game was Sunday.
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ORDINANCE continues from page 1 “Officers can still use discretion and can still write a warning,” Fortune said. “As officers, we understand this is a new law, and we want voluntary compliance.” APD also plans to collect data on the number of people who violate the ordinance and will adjust the distribution of their officers if they notice more violations in a particular area, according to Fortune “Data drives intelligent policing now,” Fortune said. “You look at the data and formulate strategies on where to put your resources.” Accounting junior Lauren Saunders said she understands the reason the law is in place but thinks the city should not have banned all mobile-device use. “I would most likely keep it as a ‘no-texting’ ordinance,” Saunders said. “I do understand that hold-
This issue of The Daily Texan is valued at $1.25 Permanent Staff
Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Riley Brands Senior Associate Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Noah M. Horwitz Associate Editors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Olivia Berkeley, Cullen Bounds, Olive Liu Managing Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Jordan Rudner Associate Managing Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Brett Donohoe, Jack Mitts News Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Julia Brouillette Associate News Editors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Anderson Boyd, Danielle Brown, David Davis, Chanelle Gibson, Adam Hamze, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Natalie Sullivan Senior Reporters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Wynne Davis, Eleanor Dearman, Samantha Ketterer, Jackie Wang, Josh Willis Copy Desk Chief . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Taiki Miki Associate Copy Desk Chiefs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Liza Didyk, Matthew Kerr, Kailey Thompson Design Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 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ing a phone while driving can be distracting. My biggest problem with the ordinance is the fact that it prevents drivers from holding their phone to use it as a GPS.” Paul Khermouch, computer science and electrical engineering junior, is a member of the Longhorn Bike Coalition, an organization dedicated to educating students about bike safety. Khermouch said the ordinance may not be enough to prevent traffic accidents. “Even if you’re using a hands-free phone while driving or biking, it is definitely distracting you and making you less aware of what’s happening around the road around you,” Khermouch said. “This is going to help improve safety for bicyclists and pedestrians and drivers, but it’s not the final step in achieving a safer environment.”
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KYLE
continues from page 1 bravery, courage and ultimate sacrifice reminds us all that our freedom has a price,” Patrick said. The Arab Students Association declined to comment on Abbott’s declaration of Chris Kyle Day. Although Hamilton said he does not think everything Kyle did was moral or representative of veterans as a whole, he said it is dangerous to judge someone’s actions when they were in a war and are not here to defend themselves. “I understand the kind
[Heroes are people] who take risks and suffer consequences most Americans cannot comprehend, but which all Americans should deeply honor. —Greg Abbott, Governor
of conflicts people are having about the things that he said and the things that he did, but anything in war is not going to be clean-cut,” Hamilton said. Jeremiah Gunderson, coordinator of student veteran services, said, regardless of the political controversy surrounding Kyle, he and the veteran services center are
glad there is a day recognizing the efforts of veterans. “I know there have been issues and controversy about him,” Gunderson said. “But for us, any time that we can emphasize the sacrifices of veterans and bring to life some of the issues that were seen in the movie as far as PTSD, we try to emphasize on that.”
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Tuesday, February 3, 2015
RESEARCH
CAMPUS
Book to explore indigenous relationships
Team Roden Analytics to represent UT at BP contest
By Rachel Lew @thedailytexan
Mormon settlers in the late 19th century played a significant role in the colonization of indigenous land, according to Erika Bsumek, author and history associate professor. In a lecture Monday, Bsumek talked about the history of Western American Indian tribes and Mormon settlement and discussed her upcoming book, “Damming Zion: Mormons, Indians and the Transformation of the Colorado Plateau.” Mormons in the mid to late 1800s settled in the West to create their own Zion, or religious homeland, according to Bsumek. While Mormons settled with the intention of being good stewards of the land, Bsmumek said American Indians faced negative consequences. “[Mormons] went there to create a better life for themselves, but their settlement patterns disrupted the indigenous communities,” Bsumek said. According to Bsumek, Mormons often used the American Indian populations as a kind of buffer zone to protect themselves against non-Mormon persecutors. They cut down trees, hunted wildlife and created irrigation systems that took natural resources away from the American Indians, Bsumek said. History professor Seth
By Katie Keenan @ thedailytexan
Yizhou Ma | Daily Texan Staff
History associate professor Erika Bsumek speaks at Garrison Hall on Monday afternoon. Bsumek spoke about her upcoming book, “Damming Zion: Mormons, Indians and the Transformation of the Colorado Plateau.”
Garfield said the book presents a new perspective on conflict between the two groups that is not usually seen in history books. “It’s a fascinating paper,” Garfield said. “The chapter provokes an interesting discussion regarding the history of environmental and intercultural conflict in the American West.” Mormon attitudes toward American Indians ranged
from “friendly to hostile,” Bsumek said, and Mormon settlers believed it to be their duty to convert Native Americans to their religion. Mormon settlers not only impacted the landscape and environment, according to Bsumek, but also intensified the separation between indigenous communities. “The Mormons and Indians traded on and off upon the arrival of the Mormons in
the Utah territory,” Bsumek said. “As the Mormons got more populous and powerful, trade relationships became increasingly uneven.” Jason Chang, assistant professor of history and Asian American studies at the University of Connecticut and former UT lecturer, said Bsumek’s research into American Indian-Mormon relationships applies to his own field of study. He said
the information Bsumek presented at the lecture gave him insight into the relationships between settlers and indigenous peoples. “Her research into IndianMormon relationships paints a much more complicated picture, and understanding this conflict helps us understand how the United States maintained irrigation and water management infrastructure,” Chang said.
HIJAB continues from page 1 “We don’t have any garment that we put on, but we observe other practices such as respecting women — we avert our gaze,” Malik said. Undeclared sophomore Charlotte Friend said she was interested in trying one on herself at UT’s World Hijab Day after seeing a video of women trying on hijabs in New York. “It was really interesting, [but] nothing like wearing it all day,” Friend said. “I felt more connected with the girls who were wearing hijabs, obviously for religious reasons. I just felt like I could respect their culture more because I knew more about it and could experience it firsthand.” People experience prejudice worldwide for wearing a hijab, according to Siddiqui, but she said she hasn’t faced much prejudice while wearing her hijab on campus. Siddiqui said she believes it is important to educate people about what it means to
wear a hijab and about Islam as a whole to avoid conflicts, such as those that happened at Texas Muslim Capitol Day last week, when state Rep. Molly White asked Muslims to publicly pledge allegiance to American law. “I think what happened at the Capitol was a really great thing because no one really knew that Muslim Capitol Day was that day until a bunch of these protesters came out,” Siddiqui said. “It created a dialogue, which I think is so important.” Events such as these are a small way to educate people about Islam and hopefully prevent protests at events, such as Texas Muslim Capitol Day in the future, Abdelghani said. “We may not get all of UT to come out, but I think the people we do get to stop at the table — that’s one more person who knows, so that person can educate someone else,” Abdelghani said. “It’s kind of like a domino effect.”
STARTUP continues from page 1 “We have our operational, financial focus that helps you develop a five-year business plan with very concrete details,” Ayaz said. The two key components startups should think about are the startup team and the customers, according to Ayaz. “Those things are really gonna make it,” Ayaz said. “The technology will eventually come together, but [the company] won’t come together without the right team and customers that want to buy it.” UT computer science students — senior Sidhant Srikumar and recent graduates Michael Pfister and Ai Liu — founded the startup hardware company Noki, which is part of Founder.org’s class of 2015. Noki is building a wearable device that slips over people’s hands to allow them to type without an actual keyboard, according to Pfister. “We’re [trying] to make typing [become] on-thego and more productive,” Pfister said. The Noki cofounders said they believe their involvement with student outreach companies provided their startup with access to
helpful resources. “With entrepreneurship, you have to do a hundred different things — you have to be good at selling, recruiting talent and managing projects,” Srikumar said. “They just don’t teach you that at school.” Top UT teams pitched their startup companies and received personalized feedback at the event Monday night. Among the students who pitched ideas was Mitch Chaiet, a radio-televisionfilm freshman in Founder. org’s Launchpad program. He presented ConcertCam, a program that enhances video from professionally recorded audio. “[ConcertCam] allows you to enhance your concert experience,” Chaiet said. “Once we get a lot of people on board, you’ll be able to take a video at a concert and have something you can actually watch.” Ayaz said he was impressed with the startup pitches from students. “We’re finding student entrepreneurs are coming up with crazy, disruptive ideas but are lacking the execution,” Ayaz said. “We try to provide them with the other elements to be successful.”
Photo courtesy of The Bolnick Lab
Integrative biology professor Dan Bolnick received the David Starr Jordan Prize for his work on how genetic variations increase the survivability of a species.
GENETICS
continues from page 1 genetically diverse ones.” Variations within populations of organisms, such as fruit flies and flower beetles, have occurred as a result of genetic mutations, according to Bolnick. He said he chose to study fruit flies because they have short life cycles and tend to have many genetic mutations, which make them easier to study. Bolnick also studied the evolution of the host-parasite relationship between sticklebacks and tapeworms, according to his lab
technician Kum Shim. “[Bolnick] was studying some populations in Vancouver Island,” Shim said. “He found that some of the lakes had fishes with tapeworms, and some lakes didn’t have any.” According to Shim, Bolnick studied how the sticklebacks acquired genetic mutations that made them more resistant to the tapeworm parasites. “Generally, we’re interested in the processes that give rise to variation between individuals,” Bolnick said. “We want to know, as a lab, why within a species individuals are different
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from each other, and that requires an understanding of the genetics, individual differences, as well as how those individual differences are functioning in a natural setting.” According to Peter Wainwright, a professor of evolution and ecology at the University of California-Davis, Bolnick’s experience in a number of different fields of biology is what sets him apart from other scientists. “He is an ecologist with a remarkable ability to integrate across speciation, microevolution, genetics and immunology,” Wainwright said.
Team Roden Analytics, a group of engineering students interested in entrepreneurship, is a competing finalist in the global British Petroleum Ultimate Field Trip competition in Houston in April. BP hosts the competition each year to engage with college students who may be interested in the oil and gas industry. UT students have reached the UFT national level the last two years, but none have yet to win the grand prize, an exclusive trip to Trinidad and Tobago. Malvika Gupta, biomedical engineering junior and Roden Analytics team member, said she has already learned a lot from the competition, and she is glad her team has been exposed to the oil and gas industry. “There will be teams from six other universities, including MIT, Penn State, Rice, A&M, University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign and the University of Oklahoma,” Gupta said. “Every team had to have a pretty great idea for them to have gotten this far, so it’s really hard to tell who our biggest competitor will be.” The competition began with a quiz designed to test the students’ knowledge of oil and gas. Students were then tasked with creating a workable solution for a realistic problem confronting those working in the oil and gas industry. This year’s challenge involved creating a solution that would reduce surplus water produced from routine operations in an oil or gas plant and find an efficient use for that water. Teams then present their plans to three BP judges. The winning teams continued as finalists to the national competition in Houston. The competition gives students an opportunity to gain real-world experience, according to Jason Terrell, a talent acquisition manager at BP. “[The goal is] to provide students an opportunity to explore the industry, while, at the same time, enabling students to embrace new and exciting ideas head-on,” Terrell said. College students from the U.S., the U.K., Canada and Angola participate in UFT, and winners from each country are selected to go on the two-week grand prize trip, where they are exposed to the mechanics of a BP operation. Julia Harvie-Liddel, head of resourcing at BP, said she hopes UFT helps students start learning about the oil and gas industry and get a head start on their careers. “We hope that this will give students a real insight into our industry and show them a career in oil in gas is a platform from which they can make a real difference,” Harvie-Liddel said.
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4A OPINION
RILEY BRANDS, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF / @TexanEditorial Tuesday, Februrary 3, 2015
EDITORIAL
4
COLUMN
Priority should True international education requires immersion be placed on individualized sexual assault survey at UT By Jeremi Suri
Daily Texan Columnist @JeremiSuri
On Monday, the Texan reported that the University will participate in a comprehensive study by the Association of American Universities (AAU) to measure the prevalence of sexual assault on campus. On principle, this decision is a good one, as those of us on campus should know the extent of this horrendous epidemic predominantly affecting young women. Last year, when the federal government released a bombshell report indicting 85 colleges for doing far too little about this issue, UT Austin was not included (though UT Pan American, one of our sister schools, did make the list). Still, the extent of this problem on the 40 Acres needs to be measured in an accurate and comprehensive way.
The University should take the small fortune required to implement the AAU survey and instead invest that money in its own survey. That way, instead of two watered-down products that only tell part of the story, perhaps the University will be able to gauge a more comprehensive and accurate overview of the prevlance of sexual assault here. Accordingly, we believe the AAU survey is not the correct way to do just that. Already, a majority of the member universities of this organization have opted out of the survey, which cost an enormous $87,500, because of concerns over its implementation. These have mainly included the alleged lack of experience in dealing with sexual assault on the part of the researchers undergoing this project. The Texan article noted that critics point to only two experienced members of the advisory committee. However, perhaps more importantly, we have concerns with the lack of individuality required in the AAU survey. The organization will allow for very limited customization from university to university when it comes to the actual content of the survey. Accordingly, in response to criticisms, the University announced that — most likely by the end of this year — it would commission their own comprehensive survey. This one, with a price tag to be determined, would focus far more substantially on the complex nuances of this campus in particular. We think this survey will provide far more helpful and eye-opening data on the plague of sexual assault around campus. All this begs the question of, in that case, why the AAU survey is needed in the first place. UT spokesman Gary Susswein was confident, however, that there was “no downside in doing the [AAU] survey.” We disagree. The University should take the small fortune required to implement the AAU survey and instead invest that money in its own survey. That way, instead of two
UT spokesman Gary Susswein was confident, however, that there was ‘no downside in doing the [AAU] survey.’ We disagree. watered-down products that only tell part of the story, perhaps the University will be able to gauge a more comprehensive and accurate overview of the prevalence of sexual assault here. Sexual assault is a terrible problem at universities across this country, including this one. A great deal of actions needs to be taken to address it, which includes accurately gauging its prevalence on campus. The best way to do that is by a unique, comprehensive study, not a derided cookie-cutter method being implemented around the country.
We live in an impatient moment, when everyone wants immediate results. The Internet has encouraged this attitude, allowing anyone with a computer and a wireless connection instant access to videos, music and texts from around the world. An almost unlimited global supermarket of ideas and products is only a few clicks away. Immediate results encourage expectations of easy and guaranteed success in most endeavors. If you can have it all with a few clicks, why shouldn’t you be able to achieve all you want with limited effort? With the right techniques and connections it seems that everything should be possible. In this context, learning becomes essentially about fixed paths and straight roads, rather than uncertainties, surprises, adventures and challenges. The sure things at the top of the search engine replace the personal creations that defy easy categories. This is how we frequently approach international education, and it explains why “global instruction” is often underwhelming. We send more students overseas than ever before, and that is good, but many of them have formulaic experiences of sharing their distant classrooms with other study abroad students, living with other study abroad students and drinking heavily with study abroad students. They return to our campuses with the fond memories of their foreign parties, limited knowledge of foreign societies and the professional branding of a student who traveled to another culture. They came, they saw and they conquered. Few attitudes change, little depth of international understanding is achieved, and life at home goes on as it had before. This is not true international education; it is a grand tour that gives young Americans the instant entertainment and bragging rights they crave. Real international education is what I witnessed this weekend, when I visited Abu Dhabi to give a series of lectures. Among the many people whom I met from countless countries was a former student of mine (Plan II and Middle Eastern Studies) who is now working as an entrepreneur in the Middle East. She is a shy, Christian Texas girl who gained fluent Arabic from years of tedious practice, repeated trips to the Middle East and many hours of studying the region and international affairs in general. She has done all the standard things, but she has also
Lindsay Rojas | Daily Texan Staff
pushed herself outside the bounds of the obvious and the comfortable to experience foreign cultures in non-American ways. My former student has made herself speak Arabic on a regular basis, she has taken a job in the region that forces her to build business relationships with people who are unfamiliar and even suspicious of her background and she has self-consciously dropped her presumptions about American superiority. She loves America, but she is making herself a deep and personal part of another region and way of life. She is not merely bridging cultures; she is living in multiple mindsets at the same time. A simple incident this weekend revealed my former student’s international education. As I met with various local hosts, businesspeople and dignitaries in Abu Dhabi, I caught a glimpse of her mingling with a similar crowd, not as a visitor (like me), but as a neighbor, a friend and a new contact. She was no longer a student on a formulaic educational experience; she was now an international operator in her own right, acting within the culture of her foreign residence. Americans are so poor at achieving this depth of connection with foreigners. We speak few foreign languages. We travel in predictable bubbles and demand predictable encounters. We know so little about people and cultures beyond our borders (as well as
those within). We are strong and rich, and we instinctively expect the world to work with us on our terms, even when we are in other people’s homes. I see this less as malicious imperialism than ignorance born of our very superficial ways of thinking about international education. As the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have proven, the stakes are very large for American citizens who frequently have to convince others to work with us in dangerous circumstances. The example of my student this weekend convinced me that we can do a lot better, but we must begin early and we must stretch ourselves beyond the normal, limited routines. So here is what I propose for students: Seek depth over breadth in your international education. Identify a region that fascinates you, study its language and history and then force yourself to visit, explore, work and connect as an individual, not a participant in a heavily guided program. Our University should do more to encourage serious adventure, with adequate preparation and reasonable risk-taking. The learning involves living as a foreigner, not as an American tourist. Future success as an international citizen comes in crossing the mental boundaries that matter much more than the lines on a map or a job application. Suri is a professor in the LBJ School of Public Affairs and the Department of History.
COLUMN
Flipped classrooms save money, but at a cost By Jordan Shenhar Senior Columnist @jshenhar
Like a lot of my peers, I don’t enjoy getting up early, I do enjoy watching videos on the Internet, and I have the attention span of a campus squirrel. And so, like a lot of my peers, I often find myself wondering why UT doesn’t offer more “flipped classroom” courses, especially when I’m trudging toward the RLM at 7:45 on a Monday morning. In a flipped classroom, professors post lectures online, which students watch before coming into class to discuss the material and solve challenging problems. In their more extreme iterations, flipped classrooms don’t include a classroom at all, giving students access to all lectures and assessments without requiring them to put on pants. With tuition costs rising across the country and the UT System Board of Regents hell-bent on keeping Texas public schools at least somewhat affordable, online or flipped courses could provide an avenue for scaling back on some unnecessary classes. For instance, calculus lecture halls could be easily replaced by a single online course supplemented by in-person TA sessions, given that the math department offers a standardized assessment for all calculus students anyway. There’s already a precedent for that sort of system at UT in the form of the introductory government course, GOV 310L. And as far as I know, there are no complaints alleging that the online version of the class has led to a noticeable drop-off in the average student’s knowledge of the Constitution. There’s also no grounding to the argument that lecturing online makes professors seem remote and inaccessible. That strikes me more as a shortcoming of individual lecturers than an indictment of the system
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.
as a whole. I’ve been in classes with 250 students that felt intimate and engaging, and I’ve been in tiny seminars whose professors would’ve failed the Turing test. A good teacher is a good teacher, regardless of how they convey their message. Steve Ballmer’s TED talks would be just as compelling in person, and Ben Stein’s economics lecture in "Ferris Bueller’s Day Off " wouldn’t have kept anyone awake even if it were offered on YouTube — unless students were bored enough to switch to a cat video before dozing off. But any potential savings online classes offer in cost and efficiency are countered by some serious logistical concerns. Notably, there’s no adequate online replacement for class discussions. Professors can enable instant-messaging feeds during their lectures, as long as they’re interested in combining the enthusiasm of a lecture-hall discussion with the civility of an internet comment forum. That’s a set of terms and conditions no one should accept, and it renders the online system especially unviable for humanities or upper-division STEM classes which require careful analysis and discussion. The problems are even more severe for the types of open-enrollment online courses that were once considered a game-changing addition to the world of higher education. Although anyone with an internet connection and some self-discipline can learn calculus from Khan Academy or ancient Mediterranean history from a few well-sourced Wikipedia articles, it's impossible to say whether or not the self-taught are actually learning anything because online classes don't provide great outlets for evaluation. It's tough to give a fair multiple-choice or short-answer test online without someone finding a way to cheat the system, and even tougher to as-
semble a team of TAs superhuman enough to thoughtfully grade thousands of papers. That would make any type of assessment at best unreliable, and probably unviable. Plus, if UT is supposed to help prepare students for life beyond the Forty Acres, it should provide more than an introduction to debt and bureaucracy to go along with an excellent education. On the first day of an 8 a.m. lecture with mandatory attendance that I took last year, the professor announced that “90 percent of life is getting your ass out of bed." Unfortunately, he wasn't wrong. In spite of the proliferation of digital media, the modern world is still largely reliant on face-to-face interaction. There's value in learning that not everything is as conveniently accessible as a URL. If UT eventually develops more Webbased courses, it would be well-served to do so on a closed system, with classes taught by UT faculty and open only to UT students. Until then, the remaining lecture-based courses that still require students to get their asses out of bed should probably adopt a hybrid system, offering some short lectures online and combining brief review with new material at the beginning of class. That provides struggling students with an opportunity to refresh themselves on anything they couldn’t learn beforehand without bogging the rest of the class down with redundancy, or taking away time that professors can use for discussion or problem-solving. If that requires changing out of my plaid sweatpants, so be it. Might as well practice now. As long as there's no such thing as a flipped workplace, it'll pay off. Shenhar is a Plan II, economics and government sophomore from Westport, Conn. He writes about campus and education issues.
Professors can enable instant-messaging feeds during their lectures, as long as they’re interested in combining the enthusiasm of a lecture-hall discussion with the civility of an internet comment forum.
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CLASS 5
LIFE&ARTS
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Tuesday, February 3, 2015
ALBUM REVIEW | ‘B4.DA.$$’
CAMPUS
Joey Bada$$ brings UT employee reflects on past caregiving back classic hip-hop Editor’s note: In 300 words or less, this series spotlights people in our community whose stories typically go untold.
By Chris Duncan @thedailytexan
There’s no arguing it: Hip-hop is the most exciting genre of music right now. And 2015 looks as if it will be equal in magnitude, if not greater, than 2014 for hip-hop fans. Joey Bada$$ contributes to this upward trend with his latest release “B4.DA.$$.” “B4.DA.$$” — meaning “before the money” — is Bada$$’s commercial debut. Before “B4.DA.$$,” Bada$$ appeared as a guest on other rappers’ records, independently released a few of his own mixtapes and almost signed to Jay-Z’s label. His consistency makes him the most relevant rapper in terms of the revitalization of the classic New York hardcore hip-hop sound. He is the at the head of a movement to bring back rap styles from 20 years ago, when Biggie Smalls, Nas and WuTang Clan released their best material. The list of producers is immense, featuring the likes of DJ Premier, Chuck Strangers and Hit-Boy. The producers on “B4.DA.$$” have struck the perfect chord between a sparce, underproduced album and an obnoxiously overproduced one. Bada$$’s previous mixtapes were good, but they pale in comparison. Unfortunately, this album suffers from a a lack of originality. As much as I like Bada$$ and this album, his influences are apparent. Sure, other people are stealing some of Bada$$’s style, but if this album was judged solely
Carolyn Robinson is a cashier at Littlefield Patio Cafe. Before working for the University of Texas, Robinson spent 21 years at Travis State School helping hundreds of people with mential disabilities acquire jobs.
By Marisa Charpentier @marisacharp21
BADA$$ Album: B4.DA.$$ Artist: Joey Bada$$ Genre: Hip-Hop/Rap Rating: 8/10
The produers on “B4. DA.$$” have struck the perfect chord between a sparce, underproduced album and an obnoxiously overproduced one. on its originality, it’s not entirely unique. My favorite section of the album is right in the middle. Tracks seven and eight demonstrate Bada$$’s skill in full force. “Like Me” has some playful, sexual imagery in the beginning but turns dark as the song progresses. In “Belly of the Beast,” Bada$$ describes his upbringing, and the sense of danger and entrapment is clear. The rest of the album proves his versatility and ends with emotional cuts. “B4.DA.$$” is a perfect display of the young and talented Bada$$. The album may be light on originality, but if a listener wants some food for thought, this album is perfect.
Carolyn Robinson, a cashier at Littlefield Patio Cafe, keeps a family portrait tucked safely inside her wallet at all times. The photo shows Robinson dressed in a pink blazer, sitting proudly next to her son, daughter and three grandchildren. But the people she’s cared for in her lifetime extend well beyond the photo’s crisp, white edges. The photo doesn’t show Randy, a boy she treated like a son. He was her favorite of all the people she spent 21 years caring for at Travis State School, a facility for people with mental disabilities. Randy used a wheelchair and could not speak. Every morning, she prepared him for school, and on the weekends, she invited Randy into her home to spend time with her family. Also while at Travis, she
Chris Foxx Daily Texan Staff
helped hundreds of people with mental disabilities acquire jobs. She spent several years assisting with supported employment, which helps people with various ranges of developmental issues enter the workforce. After the state school closed down, Robinson worked for three years as a local caregiver. She spent her days taking one woman in a wheelchair to the LBJ Library or to shopping centers. She spent her eve-
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nings helping another man bathe and get to bed. Her experience supporting people with disabilities doesn’t end there. For the past 13 years, she’s awarded individuals from Marbridge, a community for adults with mental disabilities, with the Philip Bunton award. The award honors dedicated athletes in the community’s sports department. Marbridge asks Robinson to annually present the award in memory of her
brother and former Marbridge volunteer coach, Bunton, who died of a heart attack. Now in her second semester working at UT, Robinson spends her days at Littlefield Patio Cafe smiling and conversing with students — the students she feels honored to be around. “I really feel privileged to be able to look at all you young people every day — tomorrow’s future,” Robinson said. “I love my job.”
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6 SPTS
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GARRETT CALLAHAN, SPORTS EDITOR | @texansports Tuesday, February 3, 2015
MEN’S BASKETBALL
Texas’ ranking tanks after tough losses By Jacob Martella
Freshman forward Myles Turner takes a jump shot against Baylor on Saturday in Texas’ 83–60 defeat. After three straight losses, the Longhorns continue to fall in the college basketball rankings.
@ViewFromTheBox
Despite the rivalry’s end, Texas and Texas A&M still seem to find a way to compete off the playing field. The latest battle between the two played out in the men’s basketball AP poll, in which Texas beat out Texas A&M for the lastt spot in the top 25. Although Texas outranked Texas A&M for the 25th spot, this week’s AP poll marks the latest fall in the rankings for the Longhorns after their worst loss of the season — an 83–86 loss at Baylor on Saturday. Texas opened at No. 10 in the AP Poll in the preseason but has fallen sharply with three straight losses to conference opponents. Elsewhere in the Big 12, Kansas moved up one spot to eight while Iowa State jumped four spots to 11. Big 12/SEC Challenge moved Conference play typically marks the beginning of a long and gruelling stretch without much a break. But next year, Big 12 teams will get a bit of a break in January to step outside of the rigorous conference schedule. The Big 12 and SEC announced Thursday that their annual Big 12/SEC challenge will move from December, when it has been played in recent years, to Jan. 30 starting
SIDELINE NCAAB (3) VIRGINIA
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next season. While the SEC boasts perennial powerhouse Kentucky and a top contender in Florida, the rest of the conference doesn’t quite match up to other top basketball conferences. That should give Big 12 teams the respite they need for the second half of conference play. In this season’s tournament, Texas drew a challenging game at Kentucky against the Wildcats. But, given the
overall talent level in the SEC, most teams should be able to pick up easy wins. Matchups will be announced at a later date. OU’s Spangler takes home Big 12 weekly award The Big 12 named Oklahoma junior forward Ryan Spangler the Big 12 Player of the Week on Monday, after being a key factor in the Sooners’ wins over Oklahoma State and Texas Tech last
week. Spangler posted a seasonhigh 20 points in the 81–36 shellacking against the Red Raiders and followed it with 13 points against the Cowboys. He combined for a 78.6 shooting percentage and was 10-of-13 from the free throw line. Big 12 names Cyclone guard conference newcomer of the week Although he is relatively unknown among the nation, senior
guard Bryce Dejean-Jones is starting to become a familiar name in the Big 12 — and to Texas. The Big 12 named Dejean-Jones Newcomer of the Week on Monday after averaging 17 points in the Cyclones’ wins over Texas and TCU last week. Dejean-Jones scored 18 points against the Longhorns before tallying 16 points against TCU. He also averaged a 77 percent field goal percentage in the two games.
PELICANS
TIMBERWOLVES
MAVERICKS
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FOOTBALL
MEN’S GOLF
Texas takes title hopes to Waikoloa By Caroline Hall
Jonathan Garza | Daily Texan file photo
Texas was able to land three big recruits as National Signing Day approaches. The Longhorns gained commitments from Kris Boyd, Holton Hill and Kai Locksley.
Longhorns gain commitments from three big name recruits By Ezra Siegel @siegelezra
In a winter filled with recruiting victories, head coach Charlie Strong had another reason to celebrate after receiving commitments from three four-star athletes in the past three days. Defensive backs Holton Hill and Kris Boyd announced their pledges to Texas on Friday, and fourstar quarterback Kai Locksley flipped his commitment to Texas Monday night. Hill, who played at Lamar High School in Houston, ranks as the nation’s No. 7 cornerback after totaling 11 interceptions and two special teams touchdowns in his senior year. At 6 feet 2 inches, he possesses the size to cover taller wide receivers and is a likely candidate to be an immediate contributor on defense and special teams. Boyd, who played in Gilmer, Texas, ranks closely behind Hill as a prospect as the nation’s No. 11 cornerback. At almost six feet, Boyd also has good size for his position and proved himself as a playmaker with two interceptions and four passes broken up his senior year. His younger brother Demarco Boyd is committed to join the Longhorns in 2016.
The duo adds to an already strong defensive back class that features four-star defensive backs Davante Davis and DeShon Elliot. With the Big 12 producing five top-20 passing offenses in 2014, the Longhorns will need to develop a strong secondary, especially with cornerback Quandre Diggs departing this offseason. The Longhorns now have two of the top-three ranked cornerbacks in the state, according to 247Sports. They are looking to maintain their stout pass defense, which ranked in the top 15 in passing yards allowed in 2014. Locksley, who was previously committed to Florida State, will give Texas a much needed boost at quarterback. Locksley, a ESPN 300 quarterback out of Gilman High School in Baltimore, is the No. 25 ranked quarterback in the nation. At 6 feet 4 inches and 190 pounds, he adds another option in Texas’ quarterback battle next season, as Texas works to improve upon a weak point this past year. This weekend, Texas also made the radars of other top prospects who have yet to make their final commitment. Damarkus Lodge, Cedar Hill’s four-star wide receiver, included the Longhorns in his top-three
choices Friday. Daylon Mack, Gladewater’s five-star defensive tackle, said Saturday he made his decision after receiving in-home visits from Strong and competing coaching staffs this past week. Both Lodge and Mack will announce their final decisions on National Signing Day on Wednesday. However, Texas also received some bad news. Five-star quarterback Kyler Murray announced Thursday he is staying with Texas A&M after taking an unofficial visit to Texas the previous weekend. The Longhorns tried to flip Murray’s commitment from the Aggies, which would have been a huge boost to Texas’ recruiting class. The Longhorns took another potential hit Sunday when three-star safety commit Jamile Johnson reopened his recruitment for the third time after decommitting from Texas. 247Sports currently ranks Texas’ 2015 class at No. 9, and Texas still has several top prospects considering coming to Austin. The recruiting class has the potential to be ranked as a top-five class come National Signing Day, and if momentum keeps trending in Texas’ favor, the Longhorns will have a lot to be excited about next fall.
Russell Wilson @DangeRussWilson
@hallcaroline
After a disappointing end to its 2014 season, the Texas team has its eyes on a national championship. “We started the year with a team that can compete for a national championship, and that hasn’t changed,” head coach John Fields said. Texas finally starts its four-month journey to a potential title this weekend at the Amer Ari/Big Island Intercollegiate Golf Tournament in Waikoloa, Hawaii. The beautiful island setting will serve as merely a backdrop for the Longhorns, who are looking for their first title since 2012. No. 5 Texas boasts a roster capable of finding its way to the National Championship in Florida this May. Sophomore Beau Hossler and freshman Doug Ghim highlight the 12-person team. Both were selected to the AllAmateur team, which is made up of the 20 best amateur golfers from around the world. Hossler secured firstteam honors after winning the Western Amateur and placing second at the Porter Cup. Ghim earned second-team recognition following runner-up honors at the U.S. Amateur Public Links and after advancing to the round of 64 at the U.S. Amateur. “Beau Hossler has absolutely had a great role this year, even better than when he was a freshman,” Fields said. “He had a great summer, along with his teammate Doug Ghim, who had an exceptional summer as well.” Freshmen Taylor Funk and Scottie Scheffler, along with senior Kramer Hickok, join Hossler and Ghim to round out the five-man team lineup for the Big Island Intercollegiate. “Those are the five spots right now, but the lineup fluctuates weekto-week to promote
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Doug Ghim Freshman
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Beau Hossler Sophomore
competition within the team,” Fields said. “Essentially right now, Hossler and Ghim are showing they will maintain where they are, and the fifth spot will typically move week-to-week.” Among those competing for the fifth spot on the five-man team are redshirt juniors Will Griffin and Tayler Termeer and redshirt senior Brax McCarthy. The three will compete in the Big Island tournament this week as individuals, and aren’t far from finding their way into the lineup for the Longhorns. “We have eight players in the event for us this week,” Fields said. “This gives us the best opportunity to stay sharp and elevate the team.” This weekend marks a starting point on the road to a national championship for Texas. And with the necessary tools to compete, the Longhorns have a promising opportunity ahead of them. “We can have success, and winning the U.S. Collegiate Championship last fall in Georgia was proof of that,” Fields said. “Our goal is to come together and win championships.”
The New England Patriots defeated the St. Louis Rams 20–17 to win Super Bowl XXXVI. Tom Brady was named the game’s MVP.
SPORTS BRIEFLY Big 12 names Atkins Freshman of the Week
The Big 12 named Longhorn women’s basketball guard Ariel Atkins Freshman of the Week. Atkins scored 34 points in two games last week — 21 points in a double-overtime win over No. 21 Oklahoma and 13 points against TCU. This is the second time Atkins has earned Freshman of the Week.
Longhorns to announce 2015 recruiting class
The 2015 recruiting class will be complete after National Signing Day on Wednesday. Texas head coach Charlie Strong will hold a press conference at 2 p.m. Wednesday to announce the 2015 football recruiting class. The news conference will air on the Longhorn Network. —Nick Castillo
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Tuesday, February 3, 2015
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Arrr matey. This scurrvy beast is today’s answerrrrrr. Crop it out, or it’ll be the the fishes for ya!
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KAT SAMPSON, LIFE&ARTS EDITOR | @thedailytexan Tuesday, February 3, 2015
CAMPUS
Friends build, grow hedge fund for charity By Madeline Goss @madgoss
Running a business requires maintaining a tight schedule, but most business owners aren’t concerned with making an 8 a.m. economics class. But finance senior Bradley Roofner and rhetoric and writing senior Logan Brown don’t mind attending classes if it means they can still do what they love. “We’ve found a way to skip all the stuff in the middle and jump to the stuff we enjoy,” Brown said. Two years ago, Roofner and Brown launched their own hedge fund and venture capital group called, respectively, Davenforth Investments and Davenforth Ventures. They use clients’ money to invest in companies around Austin. When Roofner and Brown were freshmen, they met at an event for their Christian fraternity, Beta Upsilon Chi. One week later, they created their business HatTee. Roofner said the premise behind the company is to make the game of golf easier by providing a place to put golf tees on a hat. Their experience working on HatTee gave them contacts and a starting point for their more recent endeavors. Business honors junior Kade Thomas, an investor in Davenforth, said he has no doubt the company will succeed. “Davenforth Ventures is a relatively new company, but the people running it are far beyond their years,” Thomas said. “I feel honored to have gotten involved in the early stages.” Despite his age, Brown said he thrives under the
Griffin Smith | Daily Texan Staff
Finance senior Bradley Roofner, left, and rhetoric and writing senior Logan Brown have launched a hedge fund and venture capital group to invest in companies around Austin.
variation each week brings and the competitiveness of the investment industry. “It’s one of the most competitive industries there is, so we really like to challenge ourselves and compete,” Brown said. “Everything else just seems really boring compared to competing on that kind of level.” Roofner said they want to make money, so they can give it away to charity to set an example for others.
“A big mission of ours with the hedge fund is to kind of show a different way of living to the people in the financial services community,” Roofner said. “It’s an industry that’s got a big problem with greed and opulence.” The two said they are driven by their faith and see their work as part of a greater calling. “Bradley and I believe we were put together for a purpose,” Brown said. “It’s beyond just making money and even beyond giving
ART
Professor makes experimental video to inspire female artists By Estefania de Leon @estefaniadeleon
A crying baby, a storage building and a chicken pecking at ice all have one thing in common — they play a part in artist Dani Leventhal’s short experimental video “54 Days this Winter, 36 Days this Spring for 18 Minutes.” “It’s not a traditional film that has a beginning and a climax and an end,” Leventhal said. “I shoot, and then I edit the footage in an intuitive way. Sometimes, I have something very specific I’m trying to communicate and other times it’s less that way.” The film, which premieres Tuesday at 4:30 p.m. in the Art Building, was filmed with a small, handheld camera that functions as an extension to Leventhal’s arm. With it, she captures clips of her everyday life. Leventhal, an assistant professor in the Department of Art at Ohio State University, creates additional artwork through different mediums. Aside from videos, she combines photos and abstract illustrations to create works of art using charcoal and oil pastels. Leventhal’s interest in art began at a young age. She was born in Columbus, Ohio, and moved to upstate New York when she was 8 years old. Levinthal briefly taught English as a second language before deciding to pursue art. She then worked in Rosendale, New York, at a women-run artist residency program before going to graduate school in Chicago. “I loved the arts because there was a lot of freedom in it,” Leventhal said. “I
I loved the arts because there was a lot of freedom in it. I gravitated toward the art world because I could be myself, I guess. You have room in the art world to be whoever you want to be. —Dani Leventhal, Assistant professor in the Department of Art at Ohio State University
gravitated toward the art world because I could be myself, I guess. You have room in the art world to be whoever you want to be.” Mad Stork Cinema, an on-campus experimental cinema group, screened a number of Leventhal’s videos last semester. After seeing the audience’s positive reactions, UT assistant art professor Kristin Lucas decided to invite Leventhal to campus. “[Leventhal’s] work stood out to me because, as a viewer, you can feel her connection to each video clip,” Lucas said. “Each shot has so much weight to it and has a way of touching your soul.” Leventhal’s experimental videos do not progress chronologically and do not follow a particular plot. Leventhal compares her videos to writing in a diary. Through her films, she said, she strives to express what she is going through in her life. “Recently, my grandmother died, and I made a set of drawings and videos that were an homage to her,” Leventhal said. “I was grieving the loss of her, so I made artwork that addressed that.” Rachel Stuckey, stu-
dio art graduate student and member of the Experimental Response Cinema, said she believes Leventhal’s work stands out because of how she pieces together montages in a jarring and abrupt way. “Conversations with loved ones are interrupted by examinations of roadkill,” Stuckey said. “Mammograms and heart sonograms jut into lingering images of plant life, folds of skin and ornate pressed tin ceilings.” The Department of Art and Art History, in conjunction with the Experimental Response Cinema, is hosting Leventhal on Tuesday. The screening is followed by an artist talk at 5 p.m. Leventhal will talk about her story, from her experience at undergraduate school to becoming an artist and professor. Leventhal said she wants viewers to leave her screening feeling more courageous in their personal pursuit of art. “I try not to cause harm, and I try to be free of oppressive constructs that come from outside or inside myself,” Leventhal said. “Mostly, I want women to feel courageous to make their work.”
it away.” Since their freshman year, the two have bonded over the common goal of charity for a greater purpose. Brown said they have become extremely good friends and spend most of their time together. “I’ve never seen or read about any partnership in the world quite like Bradley and I’s,” Brown said. “It’s really unique that we have a kind of selflessness when it comes to each other that we’ve aimed for. We are
Davenforth Ventures is a relatively new company, but the people running it are far beyond their years. —Kade Thomas, Business honors junior & Davenforth investor
always willing to sacrifice for one another.” After graduation, the two plan to remain in Austin and build upon Davenforth Investments and Davenforth Ventures. They plan to
invest in startups to help generate jobs in the Austin area, Roofner said. “I plan on working with Bradley until I die, until one of us buries the other,” Brown said.
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