1
COMICS PAGE 4
LIFE&ARTS PAGE 6
SPORTS PAGE 5
Serving the University of Texas at Austin community since 1900
@thedailytexan
facebook.com/dailytexan
Friday, February 13, 2015
dailytexanonline.com
SYSTEM
Report: Powers influenced admission By Josh Willis @joshwillis35
President William Powers Jr. helped secure admittance for a small pool of applicants over objections of admissions office officials, according to a report released Thursday by the UT System Board of Regents. An investigation, performed by Kroll Associates Inc., also found administrators at the
University and in the UT System hold “wildly divergent” attitudes regarding whether it is appropriate for a public university to consider relationships with high-ranking officials as part of the holistic review process. Kroll is a corporate investigations and risk consulting firm the UT System contracted to investigate UT admissions practices. The report concluded that
Powers pressured undergraduate admissions officials to admit a “select handful” of applicants each year. There is no law, Regents rule or System policy that regulates how much weight the University can give external recommendations, such as letters and phone calls, in the admissions process. “There are instances in which applicants do not succeed in the standard
admissions process and the President’s Office will request, and in some cases direct, that certain files be reviewed again,” the report said. “Efforts were also made to minimize paper trails and written lists during this end-of-cycle [admission] process.” Powers referenced similar practices at other universities to justify his actions. “In every case, I acted in what, I believe, was the best
long-term interest of the University,” Powers said. “In every select university across the country, similar processes take place.” UT System Chancellor William McRaven said because the investigation found no broken laws or rules, he intends only to make changes for future admission activities. “There are a lot of thing we
@sam_kett
VIGIL page 2
Over a hundred students, faculty and staff marched to the Texas Fiji house Thursday evening to protest a “border patrol” party hosted by the fraternity last weekend. The fraternity has apologized for offensive behavior and attire at the party and has agreed to work with the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life to educate members on cultural sensitivity.
@thedailytexan
MULTIMEDIA: Check out the video at dailytexanonline.com Joshua Guerra Daily Texan Staff
and other activities as responsible members of the University and Austin communities,” fraternity members said in the statement. Rocío Villalobos, a program director at the Multicultural Engagement Center on campus, said Fiji members should have given the
By Samantha Ketterer
PROTEST page 2
By Samantha Ketterer and Jackie Wang
and are offended.” In the fraternity’s statement, members agreed to work with the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life to educate members on cultural sensitivity. “We have learned an important lesson about planning and conducting our social events
Students hold vigil for UNC students
party’s theme more careful consideration. “They don’t care that people risked their lives when they crossed the border,” Rivera said. “They don’t care that some people in our families proudly put on construction hats, gloves
ADMISSIONS page 2
Protests erupt over ‘border patrol’ party
theme was not intended to be offensive. “While the party was intended to have a western or old west theme, there were elements and dress that were insensitive and inappropriate,” Campbell said in a statement Tuesday. “We understand why people were
CAMPUS
Over 300 members of the UT community gathered on the front steps of the Main Building on Thursday night for a vigil in memory of three Muslim students at the University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill who were killed in their apartment Tuesday evening. Police charged Craig Stephen Hicks with three counts of first-degree murder for shooting Deah Barakat, Yusor Abu-Salha and her sister Razan Abu-Salha. Officers said the shooting was the result of a parking dispute, but the victims’ families said the act was clearly a hate crime. “This is a loss for the Muslim community, in general, all over the world,” said Rawand Abdelghani, psychology junior and Muslim Students Assocation president. “As far as we identify, this could have been any of us that this happened to. Even though we don’t all know the three victims, we feel with them, feel with their families.” English professor Snehal Shingavi said the repercussions of the UNC shootings stretch across the country, including to the UT campus. “It has now become very, very clear that the sort of racial debates that happen in America are finding their place on campus,” Shingavi said. Because the victims were college students, the vigil held a personal importance for many attendees, according to Usama Malik, president of Ahmadiyya Muslim
CAMPUS
Over a hundred students, faculty and staff stood outside of the Texas Fiji house Thursday, chanting, “Hey, ho, these racist frats have got to go,” to protest a party the fraternity held last weekend that attendees said was themed “border patrol.” Latino Community Affairs, an agency that works to advocate for Latino students on campus, organized the protest and march. Representatives from different cultural organizations spoke in front of the Cesar Chavez statue in the West Mall before the crowd marched to the fraternity house. Several guests at the Fiji party confirmed they were told the theme was “border patrol” and attendees wore ponchos, sombreros and construction gear with names such as “Jefe” and “Pablo Sanchez” on them. Fiji president Andrew Campbell said the party
bit.ly/dtvid
STATE
UNIVERSITY
Texas Senate committee supports ‘campus carry’
TSM Board members reconsider vote
By Eleanor Dearman @EllyDearman
Despite student opposition, the State Affairs committee voted to recommend that the Texas Senate pass SB 11, a bill allowing students, faculty and staff to carry concealed handguns on campus, with a vote of 7–2 on Thursday. The committee hosted a Senate hearing to allow supporters and opponents of “campus carry” to express their opinions about the bill. If passed by the Texas Legislature, the bill would allow licensed gun owners over the age of 21 to bring concealed handguns into University buildings and on University grounds. Hospitals, residence halls, sporting events, preschools and secondary schools would not permit campus carry. Public relations junior Andrea Hiller said she is concerned for the safety of female students on campus if SB 11 were to pass because of the possibility of sexual assault.
“To allow guns on campus would heighten fear in the female student population, including myself,” Hiller said. “How can I continue to be a dedicated student when I’m too afraid to walk or be alone on campus? Let me remind you that similar to many of my peers, I am under 21 and would legally not be able to defend myself [with a gun].” Government freshman Jordee Rodriguez said colleges are not conducive to campus carry because four out of every five college students drink, creating an unsafe environment for guns. “Considering the elevated risk for binge drinking by college students and the aggressive behavior that results from it, I am concerned that allowing armed weapons on campus would only facilitate attacks on students by individuals whose reasoning is hampered by intoxicating substances,” Rodriguez said.
SB 11 page 2
By Julia Brouillette
TSM Board member Heidi Toprac listens at Thursday’s TSM election committee meeting. Toprac recommended rescinding the Board’s previous qualifications decision.
@juliakbrou
Three members of the Texas Student Media election committee recommended the board “roll back” a previous, unanimous decision to amend requirements for The Daily Texan editor-in-chief applicants in a meeting Thursday. The TSM Board, which manages five student-produced media properties — Cactus Yearbook, Texas Travesty, Texas Student TV, KVRX 91.7 FM and The Daily Texan — postponed certifying candidates in a meeting last week after questions arose about the qualifications each candidate needed to meet. “It did not occur to me that we could have a situation where we have many candidates, some of whom do and some of whom do not meet the requirements,” board member Heidi Toprac, a finance senior lecturer, said. The Board voted to amend qualifications for the editorin-chief position at their November meeting. Candidates
Andy Nguyen Daily Texan Staff
are now required to have completed at least one semester as a permanent staff member in opinion to be certified, according to the TSM Handbook. Three students applied to run for editor-in-chief, only two of whom met all the requirements. Board members Toprac, Robert Quigley and Adam Alloy expressed concern over the decision in the meeting Thursday, saying the Board may have unintentionally narrowed the applicant pool.
The handbook states the Board may certify a candidate by waiving requirements only if no qualified candidate for editor-in-chief applies by the deadline. Toprac recommended the committee request the Board “strike out” the first clause of the requirement, which would make it possible for any candidate to be certified, regardless of whether any qualified candidates applied. The three candidates — David Davis, Claire Smith
NEWS
OPINION
SPORTS
LIFE&ARTS
ONLINE
Organization aims to fight tropical diseases. ONLINE
TSM election committee sets dangerous precedent. PAGE 3
Baseball to kick off season at Rice. PAGE 5
UT alumnus debuts film at Slamdance festival. PAGE 6
Valentine’s Day movie recommendations for the single lady or gentleman.
University redesigns academic logo. ONLINE
Hazlewood Act should be limited to Texans. PAGE 3
Javan Felix faces serious concussion concerns. PAGE 5
“Fifty Shades of Grey” fails to satisfy. PAGE 6
dailytexanonline.com
and David Maly — will discuss their applications with the Board at a meeting Friday. Davis said he thinks the qualifications should be upheld. “Why have qualifications if you’re just going to waive them,” Davis said. Board vice president Arjun Mocherla said waiving the requirements universally might be unfair to other Texan employees, who may have wanted to apply for editor-
TSM page 2
VALENTINE’S DAY
PAGE 4