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SYSTEM
Regents defer presidential decision By Josh Willis @JoshWillis35
After seven hours in a closed-door session Wednesday, the UT System Board of Regents declined to name a president or announce the names of the finalists for the UT presidency. According to a UT System press release, the Board “must vote to name one or more finalists and then must wait 21 days before making an official appointment.”
The three finalists have met with a small search committee but have not met with the Faculty Council or the System Faculty Council. Following the meeting Wednesday, UT System Chairman Paul Foster spoke about the leaked information regarding the candidates for the presidency. An unknown source close to the University leaked the identities of the three candidates in late February, although Foster could not confirm the leaked identities.
The source named Greg Fenves, executive vice president and provost of UT, David Daniel, president of UT-Dallas, and Andrew Hamilton, vice chancellor of the University of Oxford in England, as candidates. “I’m as frustrated as anybody whenever there are leaks,” Foster said. “The search committee was a broad cross section of a lot of different people, and I don’t know where the leaks came from. I certainly don’t
REGENTS page 2
POLICE
Gene Vela found not guilty on all counts By Wynne Davis @wynneellyn
Graeme Hamilton | Daily Texan Staff
The UT System Board of Regents declined to announce the candidates for the UT presidency after a closed-door session Wednesday.
FRAMES featured photo
Marshall Tidrick | Daily Texan Staff
UT music fraternity Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia performs outside of the 2015 President’s Faculty and Staff Awards. The fraternity sang an array of songs ranging from “The Eyes of Texas” to Billy Joel’s “For the Longest Time.”
CAMPUS
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Gene Vela walked out of the Travis County Courthouse a free man Wendesday after being found not guilty on all charges. The trial occurred more than a year after the standoff between Vela, a former public affairs graduate student, and Austin Police Department officers outside Vela’s apartment. Vela faced charges for aggravated assault against a public servant, making a terroristic threat and unlawful carrying of a weapon. The jury reached a verdict of not guilty after four hours of deliberation. After hearing that her son had been found not guilty of all charges, Karen Emerson, Vela’s mother, said she is happy the nightmare is over. She said the past year has been hard on her and the rest of Vela’s family. “Just even from the beginning, just finding out my son was shot and just having to wait all this time while he’s been in jail,” Emerson said. “It’s not easy for him, and it’s not easy for the family for him to lose a year out of his life. I’m very, very grateful that he can resume his life.” At press time, Emerson was waiting for Vela to be processed and released before she could reunite with him. “I’m just grateful that he’s out,” Emerson said. “I’m grateful for the jurors and that they took into account all of the
VELA page 2
CAMPUS
LGBT students face homelessness St.Patrick’s Day gear may go unsold LGBT UT students face homelessness from familial rejection and employment discrimination because of the lack of antidiscrimination protections the state government offers, according to Ana Ixchel Rosal, director of Student Diversity Initiatives. Familial rejection forces LGBT students to drop out of school in some instances, and discrimination in hiring practices inhibits enrolled students from securing competitive jobs, said Chris Dao, a petroleum engineering senior and president of LGBT student organization oSTEM. Most often, LGBT students and youths find themselves without a home after their parents become aware of their sexual orientation, Rosal said.
“We have dealt with students who are homeless and/or on the brink of homelessness because, after the student came out to their family — intentionally or unintentionally — the response from the family did not go well,” Rosal said. “It could mean everything from parental disappointment to disapproval, but it can also look like total and complete rejection, including financial support. Then, the students are just out there on their own.” For college students, the length and consequences of homelessness can vary, said Natalia Ornelas, program director at Austin nongovernmental organization Out Youth, which two UT alumni founded to provide social and health services to LGBT youths in the area. “We get many phone calls from students looking for shelters,” Ornelas said. “Maybe a student was living with their
NEWS
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SPORTS
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ONLINE
Researcher expands map of world characteristics. Online Art and medical schools start joint lecture series. Online
A black female student givers her take on racism. PAGE 3
Gabaldon takes new role to help Texas softball. PAGE 4
Alumni launch production company during SXSW. PAGE 6
Follow The Daily Texan on Twitter for the latest oncampus updates.
Racism alive and well in Texas, on campus. PAGE 3
Longhorn legend Manzano overcomes odds. PAGE 4
Spider House hosts church service on Sundays. PAGE 6
@thedailytexan
By Zainab Callcuttawala @zainabroo94
LGBT FACTS
Physical Violence: Roughly 34% of LGBT youths report suffering physcial violence from their parents because of their sexual orientation and/or gender identity. Leaving Home: 26% of LGBT youths are forced to leave home because of conflicts with family. Homelessness: 25–40% of youths who become homeless each year are LGBT.
parents during college and the situation turned unsafe — they were kicked out and cut off. Maybe a student is living safely in dorms, but the school year is ending and their parents are not accepting of them, so they need to find somewhere for the
LGBT page 2
By Rund Khayyat @rundkhayyat
The University Co-op is stocked with green Longhorn shirts, caps and mugs to ensure students don’t get pinched on St. Patrick’s Day, but a good portion of the merchandise will end up on the clearance rack after the holiday ends. While Jeff Halliburton, vice president of operations for the University Co-op, said there is sufficient demand for holiday-themed UT apparel, students around campus disagree. “You’d be surprised. We sell hundreds and hundreds of pieces across the different St. Patrick’s Day styles,” Halliburton said. “We have pretty decent demand this year, especially with the head wear.” Stephanie Del Paggio,
Illustration by Leah Rushin | Daily Texan Staff
a Plan II and marketing junior, said many of her friends shop at the Co-op a few times a year for clothes or souvenirs for family members, but that’s about it. “A lot of my friends shop online, where it’s cheaper, or get free shirts from fairs on campus,” Del Paggio said. Incoming students, family members, alumni and tourists are most likely to shop at the Co-op,
according to radio-television-film freshman Amanda Booth. “Beyond these groups, I think students use the Coop for convenience or gifts,” Booth said. “Most students buy clothes from organizations they join.” The Co-op sells thousands of pieces of merchandise a year for many holidays,
TSHIRT page 2 REASON TO PARTY
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Thursday, March 5, 2015
NEWS
STUDENT GOVERMENT
SG candidates prepare for last day of voting By Samantha Ketterer @sam_kett
Volume 115, Issue 113
CONTACT US Main Telephone (512) 471-4591 Editor-in-Chief Riley Brands (512) 232-2212 editor@dailytexanonline.com Managing Editor Jordan Rudner (512) 232-2217 managingeditor@ dailytexanonline.com
With one day left of voting, Student Government Executive Alliance candidates spent Wednesday tabling in the rain and making final pushes on social media. Braydon Jones, a government senior, said he and Kimia Dargahi, an international relations and global studies
VELA
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situation involved, and they were very considerate and took a lot of consideration in making this decision, and I’m grateful for that.” When the trial began Feb. 24, Vela’s attorney Skip Davis argued Vela did not know the police were outside his apartment because they failed to identify themselves. APD officers responded after receiving a welfare concern call from Vela’s friend Andrew Clark, former president of the Senate of College Councils. Clark said he received a call from Vela after members of the Senate leadership team had left Vela’s apartment following a cookout and meeting. When officers got to the apartment, they said Vela answered the door armed with a gun, causing the responders to scatter before they could to talk to him. During the trial, officers said they felt Vela was a threat and thought he was targeting them with a laser. “The laser did not fit Gene’s pistol,” Davis said Friday. “It fell off the gun when I asked the APD ballistics expert to affix the laser to the gun. It fell off dramatically a second time when I handed the
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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, 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 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Alex Dolan Senior Designers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Virginia Scherer, Kelly Smith, Iliana Storch Multimedia Editors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dan Resler, Lauren Ussery Associate Photo Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Amy Zhang Senior Photographers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Carlo Nasisse, Griffin Smith, Ellyn Snider, Marshall Tidrick, Daulton Venglar Senior Videographers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Michael Conway, Hannah Evans, Bryce Seifert Editorial Assistant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Antonia Gales Senior Opinion Columnists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jordan Shenhar Life&Arts Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Kat Sampson Life&Arts Associate Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Danielle Lopez Senior Life&Arts Writers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Cat Cardenas, Marisa Charpentier, Elisabeth Dillon Sports Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Garrett Callahan Associate Sports Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Evan Berkowitz Senior Sports Writers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nick Castillo, Claire Cruz, Jacob Martella, Aaron Torres Comics Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lindsay Rojas Associate Comics Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Albert Lee, Connor Murphy Senior Comics Artists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Crystal Marie, Isabella Palacios, Amber Perry, Rodolfo Suarez Special Projects Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Amanda Voeller Tech Team Lead . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Miles Hutson Social Media Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sydney Rubin Editorial Adviser. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Peter Chen
Issue Staff
Reporters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Matthew Adams, Zainab Calcuttawala, Rund Khayyat, Vinesh Kovelamudi, Rachel Lew Multimedia. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Michael Baez, Graeme Hamilton, Rachel Zein Sports Writers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Daniel Clay, Rachel Wenzlaff Life&Arts Writers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mackenzie Palmer, Robert Starr Page Designers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Izabella Arnold, Sujaan Lal Copy Editors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Adam Davies, Blanche Schaefer, Hannah Wimberley Comic Artists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tiffany Hinojosa, Honney Khang, Chester Omenukor, Victoria Smith, Melanie Westfall
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senior, will be listening to student opinions until the end of the race. “We still believe in our platform,” Jones said. “We still believe we have a lot of listening to do. It’s not over yet.” The campaign team for journalism and economics senior David Maly and civil engineering junior Stephen Svatek are working to talk to as many students as possible,
according to Maly. “We’ve absolutely been busy, just working on last minute outreach efforts,” Maly said. “I feel like with any election, you have to give it all you’ve got, and that’s what we’re doing.” Xavier Rotnofsky, a Plan II and linguistics junior, said he and Rohit Mandalapu, a Plan II and economics senior, read palms and traded secrets in
gun back and said ‘try it again.’” Vela, a former Marine veteran, suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder and had an emotional episode the night of the standoff, Davis said. Kiefer Shenk, a finance and sports management senior, worked with Vela on the Senate leadership team and said he hoped Vela’s PTSD would be taken seriously during the trial. “It’s not taken as seriously as it needs to be,” Shenk said. “People, especially those with more severe cases of PTSD, struggle to live a normal life. Paranoia, suspicion and mistrust are hard things to control. These are people that spend their lives fighting for our country, yet our country won’t fight for them.” Shenk said he had a good time working with Vela in Senate and that Vela always spoke about the campus issues and how to resolve them. “I’m just really relieved he now gets the opportunity to get the help he deserved and needs,” Shenk said. “Whereas if he was found guilty, wherever he would have gone for any numbers of years, you’re not treated the same way when you’re incarcerated.”
want to point fingers at anybody; I wouldn’t even know who to point my finger at.” Foster said despite the hushed nature, the presidential search included input from large stakeholder groups. He said even though having a large group means leaks are harder to prevent, the additional input is worth the risk. “I think the process is a good one. I think the students, faculty, staff, they all have to be included,” Foster said. “Alumni [and] all constituencies need to be included in the process. One of the risks [is], the bigger a group gets, the more likely you are to have a leak, and that’s just something we have to deal with.” Foster said candidates were warned that their identities could be leaked because of the high number of people involved in the search process. Biomedical engineering senior Anuj Kudva, a member of the presidential search committee, said he felt the search was effective but that students could always benefit from more input. “I think they handled it really well, but there could always be more student input, but I also understand where they’re coming from in terms of why they didn’t do a town
the West Mall on Wednesday and said they will table again tomorrow, even in the case of bad weather. “We’re not expecting a certain outcome. We’re just taking it a day at a time,” Rotnofsky said. “We’ll be out tabling [Thursday] on the West Mall regardless of inclement weather.” The delay will have no affect on the campus-wide
REGENTS continues from page 1 This is one of the most important decisions the Board will ever make, and it will have a tremendous impact not only on UT-Austin, but on the UT System and entire state of —William McRaven, UT System chancellor
hall,” Kudva said. In the press release, UT System Chancellor William McRaven said he is happy with the outcome of the search committee’s recommendations. “This is one of the most important decisions the Board will ever make, and it will have a tremendous impact not only on UT-Austin, but on the UT System and entire state of Texas. Therefore, I think it is in the best interest of the University for the Board and me to take a little time for consideration,” McRaven said. “And, after what we learned today from each of the candidates, I can say with great confidence that UT-Austin will be firmly poised to accelerate its strong trajectory toward preeminence.”
voting schedule, according to Election Supervisory Board chair Nick Molina. Voting will still end at 5 p.m., and winners will be announced at 6:30 p.m. In the event that the University cancels classes entirely, voting will be extended to Friday at noon, and the announcement will be made at 1:30 p.m., Molina said.
LGBT
continues from page 1 summer until they can get back into their dorms.” Being an outstanding employee will not protect an LGBT employee in Texas from discriminatory termination because the state does not extend those protections to them, said Keisha Martinez, clinical services director of Out Youth. “For a lot of minorities, there is this thought that ‘I have to work ten times harder in order to be recognized or seen as an equal,’” Martinez said. “But this is not part of the thought process for many LGBT youth because getting an education will not protect them from being discriminated against. If an employer wants to get rid of them, their education would not even matter.” The conservative nature of the oil and gas industries poses problems during recruitment season for LGBT students studying to be petroleum engineers, Dao said. “Petroleum engineering is steeped in tradition,” Dao said. “As a result, there are a lot of cultural practices that are passed down that make oil companies very conservative. Baker Hughes, Halliburton and Schlumberger have Corporate Equality Index ratings at about 15 percent.” The Human Rights Campaign Foundation uses the Corporate Equality Index to rate American workplaces on LGBT equality, according to the foundation’s website. The extensive focus on marriage equality led to the neglect of other pressing LGBT issues, public health junior Tyler Grant said. “Marriage equality is definitely something that is important, but the queer community as a whole has ignored other urgent issues like LGBT homelessness,” Grant said. “It’s frustrating because we have not given the same amount of effort to those causes, and it shows in our politics, law and society.”
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continues from page 1 including Halloween, Christmas and Independence Day, according to Halliburton. “We like to get behind every holiday,” Halliburton said. Nobody really buys holiday-themed items, according to exercise science sophomore Helen Haile. “College students don’t have the money to blow on temporary things,” Haile said. While some of the green gear will still likely end up on clearance, most merchandise for other holidays does get sold, according to Halliburton. “Traditionally, after markdown, almost everything is sold,” Halliburton said. “Then we’ll make donations [if need be].” Radio-television-film freshman Julian Alvarado believes that students generally won’t spend money on St. Patrick’s Day clothing. “Money is tight. Nobody will spend that much money on UT clothes for a specific event.” Alvarado said.
RILEY BRANDS, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF / @TexanEditorial Thursday, March 5, 2015
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A BIWEEKLY PUBLICATION OF THE DAILY TEXAN EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT
COLUMN
EDITOR’S NOTE
Racism still a clear problem at UT Party part of larger racial issues By Riley Brands Editor-in-Chief @ribran
Sixty-five years ago this summer, Heman Sweatt — following an order of the U.S. Supreme Court — became the first African-American admitted to the UT Law School. It was the beginning of the end for much of Jim Crow’s deleterious legacy throughout this school and this state. Unfortunately, all these years later, racism
is still an elephant in the room at this University. As exemplified by the recent offensive border control-themed Texas Fiji party, prejudice and intolerance are sadly alive and well in some corners of the 40 acres. This week’s Forum page examines its pervasiveness and what might be done about it. Brands is editor-in-chief. Forum Editor Amil Malik is on a leave of absence while she runs for the Texas Student Media Board of Operating Trustees.
COLUMN
What the Fiji party, other incidents mean to a black woman on campus An issue that seems to have been “discussed” and “exhausted” in Austin news and in this very paper is the Phi Gamma Delta (Fiji) Border Patrol- (or Western-) themed party. Thoughts, opinions and hurt feelings have become the central focus of the discourse surrounding this offensive party and the negative University culture that fostered it (and several other incidents), but very little has been said by those who are actually educated on this subject about the real reason why it was wrong. The truth is that most people’s understanding of oppressive forces is extremely simplistic and limited. Racism is so entrenched in the very fabric of American society that it manifests itself at every level, whether intentionally or not. The organizers of this party singled out Mexican culture and decided to make a mockery of it. Incidents like this contribute to the constant marginalization of Latino/a people and all people of color. It is why I, a black woman, can sympathize with the students who were hurt the most by Fiji’s actions and decided to protest. The thing that unifies all people of color is a shared history of colonization and oppression brought on by capitalist, white supremacist forces. After spending centuries suffering through this, and having our very existence defined by it, we manage to form safe cultural spaces and build up a sense of pride, only to have aspects of our culture appropriated and denigrated. A Hispanic friend of mine pointed out to me the importance of highlighting that it’s not just that the partygoers wore outfits that were offensive, but that when they were done having their fun they were able to take the clothes off. They could put on their sombreros and ponchos and pretend to be Mexicans crossing the border, but when they stumbled home drunk that night and removed their party attire, they still have all of the rights and privileges that go along with being white in America. Guess what? People of color can’t remove their skin. We can’t step out of the physical features that align us with our socially constructed and assigned race. Mexican people are Mexican, all day ev-
ery day. They deal with the all the structural racism that goes along with that. That’s why we are so upset when marginalized people’s culture gets appropriated — the appropriators never have to deal with the repercussions of actually belonging to that race. White people don’t deal with racism, point blank. They may face prejudice from other people based on being white, but they absolutely do not have a system of power that supports that prejudice, infringing on their every right, making it hard for them to move or even breathe. People of color have to walk around this campus every day dealing with the stares, knowing that many view us as undeserving, unintelligent outsiders. That thought process still exists, and situations like Fiji’s party, bleach bombings in West Campus, etc. are living proof of that. We have honored this author’s request for anonymity given the sensitive nature of the subject matter.
By Dana Cloud Guest Columnist
Supporters of the Fiji party perpetuating harmful stereotypes of Mexican immigrants claim that the party was to have had an “innocent” “Western theme.” This claim is accurate — except the innocent part. The panoramic celebration of white heroes combating savages of various kinds is a staple of the American imagination and deeply racist, nonetheless. I understand this as a white woman. In Texas, the Western theme was epitomized by the Texas Rangers, a small corps of state-empowered, white vigilantes lionized in Texas history books even as they persecuted and murdered both Native Americans and Mexicans at will through the 1800s. They repelled Mexicans fighting against the Texan occupation of Mexican territories in 1846. They fought for the confederacy during the Civil War. After the South’s defeat, the Rangers went on to conquer what the Texas state history website describes reverently as a Texas “‘overrun with bad men,’ with Indians ravaging the western frontier, with Mexican bandits pillaging and murdering along the Rio Grande.” In 1916, they killed at least 5,000 Mexicans during civil unrest across the border. The Rangers defended Jim Crow and the Ku Klux Klan and were openly racist and sexist, forbidding the enlistment of women and minority groups. When charged in the 1970s with not having any Hispanic members, Rangers replied that there weren’t any qualified Hispanic officers available: “I don’t see any Japanese here,” said one. “I don’t see any Chinamen. We can’t hire every doggone breed there is in the United States.” The Rangers are in their twilight years, their traditions and purposes given over to modern priorities. However, the mythology about them and the pervasiveness of their ideas about the presence of Mexicans in our state — the wild, racist West — remain. So, indeed, the Fiji party, a truly disgusting spectacle of racist stereotypes, did have a “Western theme” in the same way that the law students’ party had a “ghetto theme” in 2006. However, the Fiji party is only the most recent expression of a pattern of ongoing injury at UT against its students, faculty and staff of color. Fraternity parties are not the exception to the rule of racism at UT. Statues of Confederate leaders greet visitors to our Main Mall. Two years ago, it was revealed that Simkins Dormitory
was named after a Grand Dragon of the KKK. There is a monument to the Texas Rangers in the form of the “Littlefield Home” at the corner of 24th Street and Whitis Avenue. Off-campus racism is common as well. Over the past year, black students have reported being targeted by West Campus residents who threw balloons full of (the symbolically pointed) bleach. In 2013, Young Conservatives of Texas called off a terroristic “immigrant hunt” to challenge the “threat” of undocumented students and workers following pressure from the campus community and the community at large. The Fiji party was given a pass by the University because it occurred “off campus.” In not sanctioning the organization, the University administration commits another agression against its students of color and the broader Austin community. We cannot expect the University to take meaningful action against racism. Now, as in the past, civil rights gains have emerged from struggle from below. Centers for Mexican and Mexican American studies, black studies, Asian and Asian-American studies and women’s and gender Studies did not appear as gifts from the administration. The pressure put on the University during the civil rights movements in the 1960s and 1970s resulted in gains in representation and voice for minority students. Budget cuts in the ever-more-corporate, lean, mean neoliberal university roll back those victories — making it even less likely that students will be educated in the truths rather than the mythology of Texas expansion. And then there is the attack on affirmative action. Since the Hopwood decision banning attention to race in 1996, and in spite of more recent partially corrective decisions (like the top 10 percent rule), the proportion of black students at the University remains at less than four percent in a state where black people comprise 13 percent of the population. Latino/a representation is also vastly disproportionate to the demographics of our state. Abigail Fisher’s recent challenge to a perceived but completely false discrimination against white applicants sends yet another message to students of color: You are not welcome here. What can we do now to combat this pervasive, taken-for-granted racism on and off campus? I propose that we undertake a sustained, multi-racial, agitational movement to educate the campus and broader community about the realities of racism and to hold the administration accountable for offenses committed in the Tower’s shadow — including off-campus racist fraternity parties. An embrace of a multi-racial movement may be controversial among activists who rightly want members of their particular communities — those most heavily impacted — in the lead. It also might be controversial to analogize anti-Mexican and anti-MexicanAmerican racism with anti-black racism. However, the great abolitionist Frederick Douglass’ adage, “They divided both to conquer each,” applies here. The capitalist society that depends upon inexpensive immigrant labor (which, in turn, perpetuates the category of the hyper-exploitable “illegal” immigrant) also depends upon the scapegoating of black people, resulting in mass incarceration and police murder of black men, women and children. We have seen the eruption of a national conversation about race since movements in Ferguson, Missouri, and across the country (including here in Austin against the police murder in 2013 of Larry Jackson, Jr.) forced the broader society to take notice. White people like me should stand in solidarity with the oppressed to contest efforts of the establishment to “divide both” to “conquer each.” What happens when we all stand together? We should find out, because both black and brown lives matter. Cloud is a professor in the Department of Communication Studies and the Department of Rhetoric & Writing. She is also a member of the International Socialist Organization.
Illustration by Lindsay Rojas | Daily Texan Staff
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.
SUBMIT A FIRING LINE | E-mail your Firing Lines to editor@dailytexanonline.com. Letters must be more than 100 and fewer than 300 words. The Texan reserves the right to edit all submissions for brevity, clarity and liability.
RECYCLE | Please recycle this copy of The Daily Texan. Place the paper in one of the recycling bins on campus or back in the burnt-orange newsstand where you found it. EDITORIAL TWITTER | Follow The Daily Texan Editorial Board on Twitter (@TexanEditorial) and receive updates on our latest editorials and columns.
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GARRETT CALLAHAN, SPORTS EDITOR | @texansports Thursday, March 5, 2015
SOFTBALL
Gabaldon embraces starting role By Claire Cruz @claireecruz5
When senior outfielder Marlee Gabaldon came to Texas in 2011, she expected to walk into a big role. Gabaldon was a standout, four-year letter-winner at Permian High School in Odessa. She won consecutive Permian Athlete of the Year awards in 2010 and 2011 and was a two-time District 3-5A Offensive Most Valuable Player. But in her first season with the Longhorns, she saw limited action in just 21 games, primarily as a pinch hitter. She earned eight starts her sophomore year and seven as a junior. “It was really hard at first,” Gabaldon said. “I tried not to let it be a negative thing. I realized there are a lot of roles to a team, and I needed to fill whatever one was needed.” This season, however, Gabaldon plans on being a consistent fixture for the Longhorns. “Something hit her this year as a senior because she’s taken hold of that starting job,” head coach Connie Clark said. “She’s got a strangle hold on it, and she’s not about to give it up, and I just love that.” In Texas’ first game this season, Gabaldon notched a career-high three RBIs against UC-Santa Barbara. She boasted a .429 batting average during the Texas
SIDELINE TODAY’S SCHEDULE Softball @ North Carolina 3:30 P.M. Baseball @ Stanford 8 P.M. Radio — AM 1300 Men’s swimming and diving — American Short Course Championships: Lee and Joe Jamail Texas Swimming Center 9:15 A.M./6 P.M.
SPORTS BRIEFLY
Six Longhorns earn Big 12 recognition
Daulton Venglar| Daily Texan Staff
Senior outfielder Marlee Gabaldon makes contact during a February game against Colorado State. Gabaldon has become an everyday player for the Longhorns after coming off the bench for the first three years of her career.
Classic tournament, and she hit a three-run double in the seventh inning to carry Texas over then-unbeaten Georgia. Through 20 games, all of which Gabaldon has started, she boasts a .281 batting average with nine RBIs, the fourth most on the team. But her impact is about more than just statistics. “She’s a great voice in the clubhouse,” Clark said. “She’s just one of
those people that, when she’s got something to say, people listen.” Gabaldon also sees herself as a secondary leader. As one of just two seniors on the team, she provides veteran leadership for the young group. “I don’t want to be that person that talks all the time, so I let everyone do their part,” Gabaldon said. “I want to be one of those players that’s
not always heard but is always respected.” Going from a bench player to a starter hasn’t fazed Gabaldon. “It wasn’t much of a transition,” she said. “I was always prepared to take on this role. I’ve done it my whole life.” Gabaldon learned to be ready to do anything her team needs during her first three seasons. She plans on using that lesson to achieve
her goal of being consistent for Texas. “I just want to be there for my team in every way,” Gabaldon said. “I want to help my team achieve their goals, which is anything that concerns a championship.” Gabaldon hopes to continue her success this weekend as the Longhorns (13–7) compete in the Carolina Classic in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
Six members of the Texas women’s basketball team earned spots on the Phillips 66 All-Big 12 Women’s Basketball Teams. Junior center Imani McGee-Stafford is on the All-Big 12 First Team. She averages 8.6 points and 6.1 rebounds per 40 minutes. Sophomore center Kelsey Lang received second-team honors. Two members of the Texas team — junior guard Brady Sanders and senior forward Nneka Enemkpal — received honorable mentions. Freshman guards Ariel Atkins and Brooke McCarty were named to the Big 12 All-Freshman Team. —Claire Cruz
WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
BASEBALL
After Olympic medal, alumni races on
Longhorns look to recover from sweep
By Daniel Clay @dclay567
Leo Manzano had never even run eight miles before the Texas track and field team recruited him in 2004. “He hadn’t had the conditioning program that he was going to have at the University, lets put it that way,” said Bubba Thornton, former Longhorn track and field head coach. “[Former distance coach Jason Vigilante] had said we knew that Leo was going to be really good. We weren’t for sure that he was going to be great.” But eight years and four NCAA championships later, Manzano stood upon an Olympic podium in London clad in a silver medal after a closing surge in the 1500-meter final. “He’s not a quitter,” Manzano’s coach John Hayes said. “That helped him get that silver medal. He could have easily quit in that race.” Manzano, who graduated from Texas in 2008 with Spanish and Portuguese degrees and a minor in business, ended the summer of 2012 by medaling in the most important race of his career. But just a few months later, his future was thrown into jeopardy. Manzano was unable to renegotiate his contract and lost his running sponsorship with Nike in November 2012. He was
left scrambling to find the resources necessary to travel to races and hire an Olympic-caliber trainer. “There was a lot of selfdoubt [and] a feeling of inadequacy just because you know that you’ve accomplished one of the most important highlights of your career, winning a medal for the U.S.,” Manzano said. “It was very difficult.” The “never quit” attitude Hayes saw in London kept Manzano on the track for a year and a half without a sponsor. Manzano’s business minor paid handsome dividends in his quest to return to the top of this sport. After almost a year without a sponsor, Manzano used T-shirt sales to fund his training and balanced business administration with the task of maintaining Olympic-level fitness. Finally, in April 2014, sponsorships from French shoe company Hoka One One and watch company Timex brought stability to his career. Manzano now views his rough year as a period of growth. “It was an experience that I wouldn’t change for the world,” Manzano said. “I really do think that it made me stronger as a person.” The new sponsorships also brought new challenges, however. Now, Manzano has to
By Jacob Martella @ViewFromTheBox
Photo Courtesy of Leo Manzano
Former Texas track star Leo Manzano overcame setbacks to get back on track for a 2016 Olympic games appearance.
balance attending sponsorship events, working as a celebrity ambassador for the Marathon Kids charity and even attending movie premieres on top of the huge time commitment and rigorous training regiment being a top-flight Olympian requires. “There’s a lot more that comes with being a silver medalist,” Manzano said. “I am very fortunate and always very grateful that I was able
to accomplish that, but there has been a lot more work that has come with it as well.” With new sponsorships in hand and a new coach, Manzano has his sights set on the Olympics — this time the 2016 games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. “That’s my next goal,” Manzano said. “I studied Portuguese at the University of Texas, so I’m hoping to use it wisely if all goes well and I make it to Rio.”
PREVIEW
After two losses in a doubleheader Sunday, head coach Augie Garrido had a brief explanation for what happened. “I think we played with a lack of discipline,” Garrido said. In the two games against San Diego, the No. 13 Longhorns managed to go 0-for11 with runners in scoring position and scored only two runs, both of which came on sacrifice flies. In the field, Texas committed two errors, both of which led to big innings for the Toreros. “To be consistent, it takes discipline and it takes confidence,” Garrido said. “And, for me, that’s what was missing.” The Longhorns look to turn it around in time for a four-game series beginning Thursday against a formidable Stanford team. Until the setback on Sunday, the Longhorns’ season was off to a good start, with a split against Rice in the opening weekend and a four-game sweep against Minnesota last weekend. “It humbles you when you come out and don’t play so well, especially at home,” senior pitcher Parker French said. But fixing what Garrido called “a common problem” won’t be easy. “First of all, you have to
make them aware of it,” Garrido said. “Secondly, you have to put them in situations in practice, force them to practice at a level that is highly competitive and get them to perform in an environment that you create that simulates as accurately as you can to a game.” However, correcting the problem in practice and not making the same mistake again in a game are two separate things, especially against Stanford. The Cardinal comes into the weekend series unranked in the NCBWA poll, although they managed to take two of its four games against No. 15 Rice in Palo Alto, California, this weekend. They also won two of their three games at perennial powerhouse Cal State Fullerton the weekend before. Additionally, all of Stanford’s starting pitchers, most of whom are sophomores, returned this season. “They’re a physical team,” junior outfielder Ben Johnson said. “[Their pitchers] are going to have a year under their belt. They’re going to be really experienced.” But even with the stiff competition ahead of the Longhorns this weekend, they are confident they will find a way to overcome the losses from this past weekend. “It happened, they didn’t want it to happen, and they don’t want it to happen again,” Garrido said. “I have to count on that, and I do count on that.”
MEN’S SWIMMING AND DIVING | RACHEL WENZLAFF Beginning Thursday night and continuing into Saturday, the American Short Course Championship will give lesser-known Texas men’s swimmers a moment in the spotlight. Many of Texas’ most accomplished swimmers, such as sophomore Jack Conger and junior Kip Darmody, won’t be making appearances at the meet, but 16 other Longhorns will. The championship, hosted
at Lee and Joe Jamail Texas Swimming Center, serves as a last chance to qualify for the upcoming NCAA Championships. The meet is mostly comprised of short-distance races. The only longdistance event in which Texas is competing is the 1650-yard freestyle. Seniors Nicolas Munoz and Jacob Ritter and sophomore Cory Loria will represent the Longhorns in
this lone distance race. Former Texas swimmer Michael McBroom will also compete in the 1650-yard freestyle race. The bulk of the Longhorns will race in the 200yard freestyle and 200yard breaststroke events. In the 200-yard freestyle, the six competing Longhorns will have to finish with a time of 1:33.62 or better to qualify for the NCAA “A” standard, which
guarantees them a spot in the NCAA Championships. Ritter’s seed time of 1:34.93 is not far off. In the 200-yard breaststroke, junior Liam Lockwood has Texas’ best chance of achieving a qualifying time if he can improve by 2.3 seconds. Preliminary rounds begin at 9:15 a.m. The top eight men will advance to the finals, which begins at 6 p.m.
Joshua Guerra| Daily Texan Staff
Junior outfielder Ben Johnson knows the Longhorns need to be ready for Stanford’s experienced pitching staff.
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KAT SAMPSON, LIFE&ARTS EDITOR | @thedailytexan Thursday, March 5, 2015
FILM
UT alumni to launch filmmaking company By Cat Cardenas
From left, UT alumni and Dox co-founders Brett Bowlin, Alex Milan, John Fitch and Andrew Miller stand in the Dox office space downtown. The company, an Austin-based group that provides filmmakers the resources to create and produce documentary films, will launch at South by Southwest this March.
@crcardenas8
When UT alumnus and documentarian John Fitch saw his first amateur film on the TV, he fell in love with filmmaking. Recently, Fitch’s films have taken a backseat, as he shifted his focus toward helping other documentarians foster their love of filmmaking as well. Fitch, along with three friends, hopes to accomplish this with Dox — a documentary filmmaking company that will launch at South by Southwest this year. Dox co-founders Fitch, Alex Milan, Andrew Miller and Brett Bowlin met when they were radio-television-film students at UT. Although they separated after college, the four kept in touch and reunited last year to start Dox. The company intends promote and fund documentarians to make their films a reality and a success. Familiar with the struggles that come with making a documentary, the founders wanted Dox to be a tool for filmmakers to overcome those problems, from finding funding to finding an audience. Fitch said he believes that when filmmakers don’t have to worry about those things, documentary-making can become their career — not their hobby. “When you’re in a creative field, you’re often told that you
Rachel Zein Daily Texan Staff
won’t be able to make a living,” Fitch said. “We don’t see it that way. We want the stories they film to be valuable. We don’t want to provide them with a formula; we want to give them the means to make something authentic.” The co-founders each believe today’s networks doesn’t give enough control to filmmakers, forcing them to approach nonfiction in the same repetitive way. Fitch said networks, whether it’s Fox News or reality TV, play up contro-
versies in order to keep their viewers watching . “The news, for example, has become all about scare tactics,” Fitch said. “We don’t want our filmmakers to feel like they have to do that. The films that we want to promote should be genuine, whether they’re about music or sports or politics.” The co-founders said they intend to change more than the way films are produced. They also want to change the way the public consumes them as well.
The company will host the documentaries on its website and ask their viewers what kind of content they would like to see next. “We will allow our viewers to participate in our future programming,” Fitch said. “Our audience should be active and participate in the programming they watch. They’ll help us decide what to make next or what to focus on.” The co-founders, who started college when YouTube
first came out, said they saw the digital era grow before their eyes — a change one of their professors told them to embrace. “We’ve entered a renaissance period for documentary filmmaking,” Milan said. “With the advent of highquality video recording, nonfiction filmmaking has never had so much momentum. Dox is here to direct that energy in the best way possible and create a new reality for the talented filmmakers around
the world.” Although UT students may hear the University’s mantra on a daily basis, Dox’s founders said they strongly believe in the phrase, “What starts here changes the world.” “If I was talking to my 20-year-old self about what I’m doing now, there’s no way I would’ve believed it,” Fitch said. “When you’re in college, you need to fail and experiment and zone in on what you love. That’s what we did, and that’s how we got here.”
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Multitasking, distractions cause brain to process less information
By Robert Starr @robertkstarr
1920s stage performer Harry Kahne, “The Man with the Multiple Mind,” had an act in which he would write five words on a chalkboard simultaneously, using chalk in both hands, both feet and his mouth. Most humans are not Kahne. Still, many students try emulating his abilities during class as they text a friend, browse Reddit on their laptop and play footsie with their neighbor while listening to the
professor at the front of the room. Communication studies assistant professor Dawna Ballard, who studies time and how it relates to multitasking, says those students are doing at least one of those activities poorly. Every activity takes up a certain amount of mental space and unnecessary tasks can take some of this space away from absorbing the material. A 2013 study found a significant correlation between laptop use and poor performance in class, but it didn’t establish a clear cause and effect. Another paper attempted to demonstrate that laptops led to the poor performance. The study separated students into randomized groups. In one, researchers asked students to use a pencil and paper. In another, the
researchers told students to use a computer but only the word processor. Participants in the third group could use their computer however they wished. That experiment was a failure, as only 57 percent of participants actually followed the simple instructions. It’s not that the students didn’t understand; rather the temptation of opening up Google Chrome or pulling out a phone was too great, and that affected the results. “In a multitasking age, we’re never giving all of our attention to anything,” Ballard said. And multitasking doesn’t get better with practice. A study comparing “heavy media multitaskers” to “light media multitaskers” found that the former performed worse at ignoring distractions, switching from one task to another
CITY
and keeping things in memory. In fact, the researchers couldn’t find anything heavy multitaskers did better. But that does not mean diligent students should sit in their seats, eyes fixed open a la “A Clockwork Orange” to do well in class. The brain needs a certain amount of stimulation to stay involved — just not too much. Instead of checking email or Snapchatting your bored face to a close friend, try doodling. Another experiment tested participants’ ability to recall information from a dull telephone message. Those who were told to shade in shapes while listening to the messages recalled 29 percent more information than those who just listened. Doodling is a simple enough task keep the brain active enough to prevent daydreaming without distracting too much.
Illustration by Sarah Alerasol | Daily Texan Staff
But if doodling’s not enough, Kahne developed a “Multiple Mentality Course” before his death. It’s a stepby-step guidebook filled with exercises designed to teach the same skills Kahne demonstrated on stage nearly a century ago. The course is available for free on the Internet, but proceed with caution.
According to Kahne, those who attempted his exercises experienced “shortness of breath, headaches, pains in the chest and abdomen, nausea, weakness in the back, spots before the eyes, stomach troubles, constant fatigue, palpitations of the heart — and faintness.” It’s a large price to pay to tweet during lecture.
see a complete schedule of events in friday’s daily texan.
Spider House church breaks norms By Mackenzie Palmer @mackenziepdaily
A typical visit to Spider House Cafe usually includes slam poetry, open mics or local bands, but Sunday afternoon, the sounds of worship ring through the coffee shop and bar. Husband and wife Chris and Crystaline Lopez founded the Bella Eden church in January 2013 after previously holding sermons in their apartment. They hold an open church service in the Spider House Ballroom at 1 p.m. Sundays. Bella Eden is a Christianbased congregation of about 50 members that preaches the importance of an inclusive community. Callen and Stephen Husband said they have been attending the church for a year and a half and feel right at home. “I loved the space and the people so much,” Callen said. “Chris and Crystaline even married us in the ballroom at Spider House on a
church Sunday.” With Bella Eden, the Lopezes said they wanted to break away from traditional church norms and create a community that focuses on building authentic relationships. “We’re not here to build a brand or even our name,” Crystaline said. ”We genuinely want authentic, organic relationships to be formed within the community and with God.” Bella Eden recently added a new element to its main service called “Love Feast.” On the first and third Sundays of each month, the church offers food to those who attend. Crystaline said the best way to build healthier relationships is by inviting people to dine. The couple plan to make “Love Feast” a weekly part of the service. “We want to have the normal staples of church: worship and preaching,” Chris said. “But we want to experiment and figure out where you build community.” The couple said their location on Guadalupe Street is
exactly where they need to be. “We want to build [a] healthy community with college students,” Crystaline said. The Lopezes said they use their mutual passion for music to worship. They both have musical backgrounds and are in a worship band together that plays at nursing homes, prisons and homeless shelters. Chris said he likes to write original songs. He encourages others to not be weighed down by the music already out there. “We want the church community in Austin actually singing Austin’s songs,” Crystaline said, “There is a sound from Austin that can be heard too.” Ultimately, the couple said they want the church to add to their members lives. “We don’t want you to cater your life around what we’re doing at church,” Crystaline said. “If you are connected to our community, we genuinely want you just to flourish in who God created you to be. Your dreams, your passions — that’s where we want your time to go.”
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