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LIFE&ARTS PAGE 6
COMICS PAGE 5
SPORTS PAGE 4
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SYSTEM
Senate confirms regent appointees By Josh Willis @joshwillis35
The Texas Senate confirmed Wednesday Gov. Greg Abbott’s three appointees to the UT System Board of Regents. The Senate unanimously approved Sara Martinez Tucker, CEO of the National Math and Science Initiative. Current Regent Steve
Hicks was confirmed by a vote of 28–2. Sens. Bob Hall (R-Canton) and Konni Burton (R-Colleyville) voted against Hicks. Senators also approved David Beck, a partner at the Beck and Redden law firm in Houston, by a vote of 27–3. Sen. Charles Schwertner (R-Georgetown) voted with Hall and Burton against Beck’s nomination.
In order to take their places on the board, the nominees must be sworn in as regents, according to UT System spokeswoman Jenny LaCoste-Caputo. Last week, the Senate Nominations Committee approved the appointees and sent them before the Senate for a vote. The committee unanimously approved Martinez Tucker, while both Hicks and Beck
were approved by 6–1 votes. In the committee, Burton voted against both Hicks and Beck. In light of investigations into UT admissions and the UT School of Law’s forgivable loan program, Burton said Beck, the president of the UT Law School Foundation from 2002–2006, and Hicks have contributed to a lack of transparency. “[Hicks and Beck] have
presided over a period of secrecy, privilege and sharp rises in tuition at the University of Texas,” Burton said in a statement. “The University of Texas is in need of a fresh start, with Regents concerned first and foremost with improving the strength of the University, getting tuition under control, and ensuring an admissions
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COMMITTEE page 2
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Marshall Tidrick | Daily Texan Staff
State Sen. Kirk Watson (D-Austin) and several other Texas senators and representatives spoke at Planned Parenthood’s Lobby Day rally at the Capitol on Wednesday afternoon.
cervical cancer screening at her Waco [Planned Parenthood] health center,” Wheat said. Ashley Alcantara, University Democrats communication director and Plan II sophomore, said she thought SB 2 was a poorly disguised way to defund
By Eleanor Dearman
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By Jackie Wang
and cervical cancer screening in a three-tier system, and Planned Parenthood would be classified as a third-tier priority. “We heard directly from one of the patients, who took a bus from Waco and said her being here today was because of breast and
Committee delays bill about regent operations
Planned Parenthood. “It’s such an important resource for women who often don’t have access to health insurance or other places to get health care, so I think it’s pretty despicable for legislators to target
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Planned Parenthood holds rally at Capitol
rally, sharing their stories about Planned Parenthood and how they would be impacted if SB 2 defunded breast and cervical cancer screening programs. SB 2, the proposed Senate budget, would distribute funding for health care centers that provide breast
LEGISLATURE
The Senate Committee on Higher Education left a bill regarding board of regent operations pending in committee to adjust the language of the bill. SB 177, which Sen. Kel Seliger (R–Amarillo) filed, would establish certain restrictions and operation guidelines for the governing boards of public institutions of higher education, such as the UT System Board of Regents. If passed, the bill would establish new transparency and independence measures, ethics training and a clear definition of the board’s role in the university’s system. Over the course of the last several years, UT administrators and the UT System Board of Regents have been involved in several highly-publicized debates concerning transparency. Last year, the House Select Committee on Transparency in State Agency Operations formally censured Regent Wallace Hall after he allegedly placed a burden on the University with a series of broad open records requests, spanning several hundreds of thousands of pages. The bill establishes that the board may not “unreasonably or unduly” interfere with daily university operations. “My concern would be that in the event a board of trustees felt the need to have a little more interactive role in a day to day capacity, for whatever reason … I’m afraid this may put some handcuffs — if you will — on unforeseen circumstance,” Rep. Charles Perry (R-Lubbock) said. At the hearing, Seliger said the bill would “establish consistency” in governing body processes across the state. “This bill clarifies and
CITY
Planned Parenthood and 550 of its supporters rallied at the Capitol on Wednesday during its biennial Lobby Day rally. State senators and representatives welcomed rally attendees, who wore pink and held posters with sayings such as “I rely on Planned Parenthood” and “Texas needs Planned Parenthood.” The rally, officially named “My Health, My Life. My Texas. Rally,” reflects what true Texan values are, according to Amanda Bennett, global studies graduate student and member of the Feminist Alliance Policy. “Planned Parenthood embodies Texas values rather than being against them,” Bennett said. “[Values] like health and families and being in control and making choices for your family.” Sarah Wheat, vice president of community affairs for Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas, said the day served as an opportunity for Texans from across the state to show their support for women’s health and the health services Planned Parenthood provides. Planned Parenthood patients also spoke at the
bit.ly/dtvid
SXSW
CAMPUS
One year later, SXSW Care Fund still helping
Lecturers design role-play language classes
By Wynne Davis @wynneellyn
One year after a car drove through a crowd of people at South By Southwest, killing four and injuring more than 20 others, all the victims of the crime have received funds to help with the recovery process. Members of the Austin Community Foundation worked with SXSW, Austin Police Department’s Victim Services Division and the American Red Cross to set up the SXSW Cares Fund, which has helped cover costs that are not covered by insurance companies and other resources. “The SXSW Cares Fund shows how caring Austin is as a community and how much the festival is loved
The SXSW Cares Fund shows how caring Austin is as a community and how much the festival is loved around the world. —Robin Bradford Director of communications and advancement for the Austin Community Foundation.
around the world,” said Robin Bradford, director of communications and advancement for the Austin Community Foundation. “For the past year, we’ve depended on the Austin
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By Zainab Calcuttawala
David Huenlich, Germanic studies assistant instructor, speaks Wednesday night about a role-playing game he designed to help students learn language in an interactive way.
@zainabroo94
Two Germanic studies assistant instructors have designed a “Dungeons and Dragons”-style course that will facilitate language learning. The course would have students role play the historical events surrounding the Meuseback-Comanche Treaty in 1847, which solidified collaboration between early German settlers in Texas and the Comanche tribe. The course model aims to maximize intermediate-level language students’ interaction with the German culture and encourage the creative use of grammatical structures and vocabulary that have been taught previously, according to the
Graeme Hamilton Daily Texan Staff
course designers who spoke Wednesday at a talk the Texas Language Center hosted. The desire for a more interactive classroom environment arose because assessments took up
significant amount of class time, and the existing model did not foster cultural learning in a natural way, according to David Huenlich, Germanic studies assistant instructor and co-creater of the program.
NEWS
OPINION
SPORTS
LIFE&ARTS
ONLINE
Drafthouse CEO details entrepreneurial hardships. ONLINE National Geographic CEO stresses media diversity. ONLINE
Legislators need to fix state pension system. PAGE 3
Texas beats Tech, moves on in Big 12 tournament. PAGE 4
SXSW safety precautions increase from 2014. PAGE 6
Students should demand a diverse SG. PAGE 3
Senior women’s golfer has success far from home. PAGE 4
Science Scene examines causes of cyberbullying. PAGE 6
Check out our science scene video on empathy and its connection to cyerbullying at dailytexanonline.com
“We found that we spend a whole week of class time on mostly written assessments, which was too much for our taste,” Huenlich said.
LANGUAGE page 2 REASON TO PARTY
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Thursday, March 12, 2015
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NEWS
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Volume 115, Issue 118
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Brian Philhower plays with his band, Swiller, outside of the former Jack in the Box. Swiller is visiting Austin for the upcoming South by Southwest festival.
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TOMORROW’S WEATHER
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Police Department’s victims services counselors who work closely with the individuals and families most affected to get funds out to cover expenses not covered by other victims funds.” People and companies began donating to the fund the night of the crash because they wanted to give and help the victims, Bradford said. The SXSW Cares Fund reached a total amount of $254,045 and immediately started giving that money to victims. Bradford said approximately $80,000 have been given to victims. The remaining funds are still available for victims to request. Gregory Cerna, electrical engineering and computer science junior, sustained injuries as a result of the crash and said the funds he received helped cover the costs of his medical bills.
Cerna said he will not be returning to the festival this year but will possibly go back after the trial ends for Rashad Owens, man accused in the crash, and when Cerna feels the case has been completely closed. “Ever since everything has died down and my concussion got better, I kind of checked out of it,” Cerna said. Immediately following the incident, APD’s Victim Services provided all 28 victims with a $500 gift card for immediate expenses and counselors to assess their needs and help them fill out requests for funds, said Kachina Clark, manager of APD’s Victim Services. Assistance will be available to victims until the fund runs out, Clark said. “If victims decide in maybe a year that they want counseling they didn’t before but now, they do then
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they can still access that,” Clark said. “It could be a challenging time for those victims and family members and those who witnessed the crime … so they should contact us if this brings up any memories from last year, and we can connect them with mental health services.” The fund has covered victims’ medical bills, funeral expenses, rent and lost wages, Bradford said. “The victims can still request funds and the foundation has responded to every request we received from victims, and we continue to provide funds to victims and their families,” Bradford said. “We view this as a long-term recovery and not as something that’s going to happen in a year, and we’re committed to preserving the SXSW Cares Fund for victims who need it.”
funding that is so important to so many women,” Alcantara said. Attendees also showed their support for Planned Parenthood by scheduling meetings with their local representatives. State Rep. Eddie Rodriguez (DAustin), who spoke at the kickoff rally, met with his constituents Wednesday. Rodriguez said legislators should pay attention to Planned Parenthood. “Standing up for reproductive rights isn’t a challenge; it’s an opportunity to amplify the voice of so many women who depend on basic reproductive and other critical health care services,” Rodriguez said in an email. Laura Tanter, biology and English junior and president of UT’s Texas Freedom Network chapter, said representatives may not have an accurate picture of
Planned Parenthood. “They’re trying to remove all funding from Planned Parenthood, and it’s all based on … the fact that some of their locations provide abortions,” Tanter said. “But I don’t think they realize it’s more than just abortion, and it’s important for everyone around the country.” College Republicans said although they do not support Planned Parenthood’s abortion services, moving forward on women’s health is a priority. Women should have the necessary tools and services for their health, according to Bridget Guien, economics freshman and communications director for College Republicans. “It’s nice to see that women from all over Texas could come together to support something they are passionate about,” Guien said. “It’s a good sign for Texas politics that so many people can rally together and share their opinion with the Capitol.
REGENTS
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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 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 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Joe Capraro | Daily Texan file photo
The Texas Senate approved current Vice Chairman Steve Hicks to the UT system Board of Regents on Wednesday.
COMMITTEE
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codifies the best practice of university governance,” Seliger said at the hearing. “It also increases transparency and training for members of boards of regents.” Sen. Konni Burton (R-Colleyville) said she is concerned about the standardization of governing boards. “I like the individual ability of each board to, kind of, oversee as they see fit,” Burton said. The bill also establishes that a system may terminate employment of a president only after receiving permission from the university system chancellors. Seliger filed a similar bill last legislative session, and it passed, only to be vetoed by then-Gov. Rick Perry.
“Another thing we noticed was that, although we loved bringing in culture into the classroom, the topics jumped from one day to other. We would talk about Opernhaus one day and the Berlin Wall on another day.” The students would go through two weeks of introductory material that would cover the rules of the game and relevant vocabulary, followed by 10 weeks of role-playing in which students would think and act as their assigned historical character. Huenlich said the innovative classroom environment immerses students
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in the historical scenario and makes sure the students interact with the language and learn cultural concepts thoroughly. Contextualizing a role-playing game to a historical narrative allows instructors to bring primary sources into the classroom, according to Germanic studies lecturer James Kearney. “There are actually readings from primary texts from the historical figures of German immigration,” Kearney said. “The texts are wonderful — not too difficult in German and include important grammatical concepts, like subjunctives,
process that rewards the brightest students and not those with connections.” The Texas Coalition for Excellence in Higher Education issued a statement in support of the confirmation. “These regents will help Chancellor McRaven advance the UT System past detrimental and unnecessary conflict and controversy, and toward a future focused on creating and sustaining excellence in higher education across the System’s academic and medical campuses,” the statement said. Martinez Tucker and Beck are replacing current Regent Robert L. Stillwell and Vice Chairman William Eugene Powell on the board. Hicks’ term has been extended until 2021.
that could be used in the class.” The role-playing class structure does not need to be limited to German classrooms because it can be easily tweaked according to the target language, said Adams LaBorde, Germanic studies assistant lecturer and course co-creator. “The actual game mechanics do not really care about what language they are in, so it would be easy to apply the French Revolution or the Cultural Revolution in China or the end of the samurai era in Japan to the model,” LaBorde said. “It is very universal.”
RILEY BRANDS, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF / @TexanEditorial Thursday, March 12, 2015
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COLUMN
Legislators must forgo political promises, fix pension system By Chuck Matula
Daily Texan Columnist @chucketlist
Imagine a state where the pension system is in a desperate state of disrepair. Decades of underfunding by the legislature and “kick-thecan” politics have pushed the funds to the brink of insolvency and credit rating agencies are considering downgrading the state’s bonds. This is the kind of horror story one typically hears about Illinois or Detroit, but this could very well be Texas’ future if legislators continue to ignore the major problem with the state pension system. Pension systems are important to anyone who lives in Texas and plans to continue doing so in the future. The pension system is directly tied to the state’s budget and long term prospects as a competitive place to work. If this session’s crop of politicians are serious about addressing the problem of pension debt plaguing the state budget, they need to break with tradition and provide full funding to the system. According to an actuarial valuation of the Employee Retirement System of Texas released last August, the fund is currently actuarially unsound. That means that returns on investment and new contributions won’t cover long-term payouts and other expenses. In fact, Texas has a major problem adequately funding the system on a year-to-year basis. The Texas Senate’s website notes that state Sen. Kirk Watson, D-Austin, has argued the state has failed to adequately fund the pension system in 19 of the past 20 years, an alarming number shows even a legislative branch dominated by self-identified fiscal conservatives lacks the po-
litical will to spend today’s money on long-term gains. What’s more, a change in the Governmental Accounting Standards Board rules for public pension accounting has shown that public funds across the countries are far more underfunded than previously thought. A report this month issued by Reuters said that the ERS of Texas is only 63 percent funded under the new accounting rules, down from 77 percent under the old rules. Under these new rules the state will be adding half a billion dollars in deficit a year to the already $7.5 billion it has accrued in debt, according to an editorial in the Dallas Morning News. Employee Retirement System Executive Director Ann Bishop told senators in testimony to the Finance Committee this month that “if [the pension liability] is not addressed one way or another, the debt is going to keep growing.” Bishop took particular care to point out that major credit rating agencies could consider downgrading the state’s credit rating at some point in the future if the problem persists. “The bond houses do consider this a debt,” Bishop told the committee. Texas rightly prides itself on a AAA credit rating during a time when many states are struggling with their spending. However, if lawmakers refuse to make the kind of hard financial decisions that put Texas in the favorable position it’s in today, the credit rating agencies will downgrade our bonds. Moody’s warned the state as much in January. State Sen. Kevin Eltife, R-Tyler, has the right idea, saying in the Finance Committee that he’ll oppose cutting taxes until the ERS is appropriately funded, according to the Texas Observer. “We should have made the tough decisions to either raise taxes or cut [benefits],” Eltife is quoted as saying. “The reason we’re in this mess is because we haven’t made the tough decisions over the last 10 years.”
Stephanie Tacy| Daily Texan File Photo
Legislators warn the pension system in Texas is in disrepair, and hope their fellow lawmakers will be willing to make the tough decisions needed to fix it
Watson, also of the Finance Committee, expressed similar sentiments about the urgency of taking action to address the growing problem. However, not all legislators felt the same way. State Sen. Charles Schwertner, R-Georgetown, shrugged off the problem, saying, “Texas is doing much better than other states.” This kind of cavalier attitude toward an impending problem like credit downgrades is unacceptable and shows Schwertner doesn’t have the political courage to hold the state to obligations it has already made. Public service is a noble calling and we owe people who dedicate their working lives to it a debt of gratitude. If we ignore promises we’ve made to people who run this state every day, we’re sending a powerful message, not about how Texas treats
the people who serve but about how the popularity of policy solutions is more important than the long-term solvency of the state. Should we see our legislators shy away from making these tough choices and instead focus on popular campaign promises, they need to surrender the prized title “fiscal conservative.” Watching unfolding budget chaos in far-flung corners of the U.S. while smugly patting themselves on the back for making wise fiscal choices is practically a ritual for Texas politicians. If they show us this session they don’t have the wherewithal to deliver on our promises to public employees and plan for a sustainable financial future, we as voters need to show them what matters. Matula is a finance senior from Austin.
COLUMN
COLUMN
Student Government must seek Be wary of information overload to include diverse voices, ideas By Kennon Kasischke Guest Columnist
Still wondering who to vote for this Student Government election? This alumnus doesn’t have the answer but will give you insights to the game. I’m proud to say I was an outlier within Student Government. It’s smothered in Greeks, Plan II scholars, Spirit Org affiliates and career SG members who have had a plan since their freshman year to one day run it all, yet I stumbled my way into it all my junior year as a sole student looking to advocate for his passions. I met some of my best friends, and got to pursue ambitions to better the University all while representing my communities; however, I always knew I could not represent every student. The way I combated this was to surround with people who were different from me. People who knew what they were talking about, didn’t mind getting their hands dirty, and who could connect back to these struggling groups in need of change and support. Student Government then in itself has to be diverse and inclusive to bring in as many minds, opinions, and critiques to allow it to grow and prosper. Here is where Student Government flounders: it thinks it can simply cast a larger net on students to fix this problem every year. With this wide approach, they hear about issues and then “support” communities by writing resolutions. WRONG. Student Government needs polarizing, passionate, intelligent and driven leaders who want to represent these students and their communities and who are not afraid of getting themselves battered in the process.
Being a figurehead with loads of experience means nothing if you cannot define your stance on issues. At the same time, not taking yourself seriously will cause you to loose respect from the institution itself. To practice what you preach means everything in the world of university politics. Take the recent University of Oklahoma scandal: President David Boren took a swift and strong stance on a racist video and established a zero tolerance position from the top down. We need our student leaders to be just has strong-willed and vibrant. Jones-Dargahi say they want to talk. You can talk all day, but UT students need you to stand up for them and debate Campus Carry, Domestic Partner Benefits, Immigration stances, Gender Neutral Housing, Disability Services and more. RotnofskyMandalapu have shown they’ll stand up for students, but at what point will they take a second to step away from the humorous juggling act to actually have critical and needed conversations. As an alumnus of our great institution, I will not be casting a vote March 11th or 12th for the next student body president and vice-president, but I hope current undergraduate and graduate students take it upon themselves to ponder what they think is more important: passion or politesse. Kasischke is a recent natural science and liberal arts graduate, 2-year Director of the Queer Student Alliance the LGBTQ Agency of Student Government, a non-Greek/nonspirit group member and one of the main organizers behind the Rady/Strickland 2014 Student Government campaign.
ONLINE Our commentary doesn’t stop on
the page. For more of our thoughts on the issues of the day, check out our blog, A Matter of Opinion, at dailytexanonline.com .
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.
By Khadija Saifullah Daily Texan Columnist
One of the great challenges of this century is to find ways to wring truth out of the plethora of information on the internet. We are swimming in a vast sea of information. However, at the simultaneous risk of “drowning in ignorance,” said Richard Paul Evans, much of that information is of infinitesimal value. At best, it encourages, and at worst, it propagates. On March 7, the UT School of Information hosted its 2015 Art+Feminism Wikipedia Edita-Thon, where around 50 participants enriched the Wikipedia experience by updating articles regarding the topics of art and feminism. This event plans to link the gender gap and perceptions as well as some articles’ narrow perspective. This includes restating history in articles in which the accounts of women’s contributions to society may not be well known by popular belief. It’s so simple to rely on search engines for our solutions. The smallest issue can be searched on Google and result in a profusion of information about it. The multiple viewpoints about an issue are portrayed differently depending on the media outlet and person(s) behind it. The media will emphasize one idea over another and confuse the viewer. Faced with this confusing stream of conflicting information, most people will not know what to think and will get on with other things
over which they have some control. Our collective inability to wring sense from the data leads to ignorance, apathy, and disconnection from world issues. In the infinite sea of information, researchers have privileged access to substantiated knowledge, which has been passed down in the light of education. Such knowledge can be a lighthouse in a sea of misinformation. To extract myth and falsehood, it should be reviewed and edited by a variety professionals. This wisdom is crucial if we are to navigate our way toward a thriving and sustainable human civilization. A good researcher is not only someone who contributes to the body of peer-reviewed knowledge, but also someone who can get that knowledge to where it is most needed so that it can have an impact on real problems, someone who helps to create spaces where all of those involved in the research can learn and transform their perspectives. With the continuous expansion of the Internet, we become as potentially vulnerable to ignorance as we become capable of being inspired. Therefore this reiterates the importance of analyzing information and distinguishing falsehood from validity. To the rest of us students, use the research and education acquired at this world-class institution to think about the bigger picture. Do not fear failing, because that is where you will find the window to more opportunities. Engage and collaborate to increase the reach of your research and ideas and use your creativity to inspire others. Saifullah is a neuroscience sophomore from Richardson.
FIRING LINE
UT should follow Boren’s example The Actions of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon chapter at the University of Oklahoma that came to light via a Youtube video first shared by OU Unheard were pretty despicable. I applaud President David Boren for severing “all ties and affiliations” with the fraternity and expelling two students associated with the event. However, the inaction of UT’s Dean of Students in reprimanding our own Phi Gamma Delta fraternity for their border patrol party earlier this year perpetuates the good ol’ boy attitude of the South. It is unfortunate that the term wetback and the offensive actions of dressing as construction workers (ironically, likely the same workers who just finished renovations on their own house) is not considered to hold the same level of vulgarity as those students over at OU’s SAE saying the “n-
SUBMIT A FIRING LINE OR GUEST COLUMN | E-mail your Firing Lines and guest columns to editor@dailytexanonline.com. Letters must be between 100 and 300 words and guest columns between 500 and 1,000. The Texan reserves the right to edit all submissions for brevity, clarity and liability.
word” in a similar off-campus situation. The inaction of the UT administration and Dean of Students Sonica Reagins-Lilly in not punishing Fiji promotes the idea that you can get away from trouble if you are born into privilege and that Hispanics are still only second-class citizens. At what point will UT instill some of the same accountability that Charlie Strong brought campus? I thought UT stood for the core values of integrity, honesty, trust, fairness and respect toward peers in our community. But apparently Dr. Boren is living up to those values more than the people who head the Dean of Students’ Office. Perhaps we need to change our campus before we change the world. — Ruben Mendoza, chemical engineering and physics senior
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 12, 2015
SIDELINE
MEN’S BASKETBALL
No. 7 TEXAS
No. 10 TEXAS TECH
VS.
Ridley leads Texas past Texas Tech By Evan Berkowitz @Evan_Berkowitz
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — For the third-straight game, Texas came out victorious in what felt like a NCAA tournament elimination game. The Longhorns topped then-No. 14 Baylor on March 2. Then they defeated Kansas State on Saturday to end the regular season. And with the help of a crisp second-half Wednesday night, Texas found a way to capture a 65–53 win over Texas Tech in the first round of the Big 12 tournament in Kansas City, Missouri. “From the 16-minute mark down to about the six-minute mark, we were maybe as efficient as we’ve been all year offensively,” head coach Rick Barnes said. However, it wasn’t a blowout the entire way for Texas against the lastplace Red Raiders. Tech managed to stick with the Longhorns throughout the first half and seemed to have an answer for every Texas bucket. Despite an efficient performance in the paint, the long ball eluded the Longhorns just as it had all year. Texas shot just 3-of-13 on 3-point attempts in the first half, which helped keep Tech in the game. At the break, Texas was only looking at a 4-point lead. “I did think we shot too many threes at the start of the game,” Barnes said. “I’m sure Tech and anyone would like for us to do that. … We wanted to get inside.” And that’s exactly what the Longhorns did in the second half against the Tech zone. Playing to its size advantage, Texas went on a 16–4 run to open up a
16-point lead. Junior center Cam Ridley, freshman forward Myles Turner and sophomore guard Kendal Yancy each had their own oldfashioned 3-point play during the run, as Texas found its way to the paint and the line with ease. From here, the game was never close. After 13 3-point attempts in the first half, Texas settled for just six in the second. Instead, the guards penetrated and dished, finishing the game with 17 assists and just eight turnovers. “[Sophomore guard Isaiah Taylor’s] demeanor was as good as it’s been all year in terms of running things,” Barnes said. Ridley, who did a good job of creating space in the block, broke out in the second half. He had just one shot attempt in the first half but connected on 5-of-7 in the second half for all 14 of his points. “First of all, all the credit to the guards for looking for me,” Ridley said. “I’m going to play a lot more aggressive than I have before because that’s what the team needs from me.” Yancy added 13 and Taylor put in 12 as the only other Longhorns in double-figures. The rest of the attack was fairly wellbalanced, as the Longhorns outscored Tech in the second half, 35–27, which was closer in numbers than what it felt like. The win sets Texas up with a date with No. 13 Iowa State in the quarterfinals Thursday night at 6 p.m. The game will be televised on ESPNU. “I think we have a good chance to get into the [NCAA] tournament,” Taylor said. “But that right now can’t be the focus. We’re looking to win the Big 12 tournament.”
Junior center Cam Ridley, center, and freshman forward Myles Turner, right, fight for a rebound during Texas’ victory over Texas Tech on Wednesday night. The victory advances Texas to the quarterfinals in the Big 12 tournament.
KANSAS ST.
RICE
NORTH TEXAS
Texas Basketball
@TexasMBB
Emphasizing the STUDENT in student-athlete. Morning study hall at the hotel before our GameDay shootaround.
Daulton Venglar Daily Texan Staff
2015 PHILLIPS 66 BIG 12 MEN’S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP FIRST ROUND WEDNESDAY MARCH 11
QUARTERS THURSDAY MARCH 12
SEMIFINALS FRIDAY MARCH 13
Sprint Center Kansas City, MO
Men’s tennis vs. Michigan State Caswell Tennis Center 4 p.m.
No. 4 Baylor No. 5 West Virginia No. 8 Kansas St. No. 9 TCU No. 7 Texas No. 10 Texas Tech
TODAY’S SPORTS EVENTS Men’s basketball vs. Iowa State Kansas City, Missouri 6 p.m., ESPNU
FINAL SATURDAY MARCH 14
No. 1 Kansas 9 TCUSt. No. No. 8 Kansas No. 2 Iowa State
BIG 12 CHAMPION
No. 7 Texas
SPORTS BRIEFLY
No. 3 Oklahoma No. 6 Oklahoma St.
Strauss finds home through golf By Bridget Bonasoro @bridgetbonasoro
Joe Capraro | Daily Texan file photo
Senior Bertine Strauss found a home away from home with Texas golf. The characteristics she has gained from being far from home have helped her anchor the team for four years.
taken care of, and there’s no disruption.” Despite her accomplishments this season, Strauss still thinks she can get better. “It’s pretty exciting,” Strauss said. “In golf, you play against yourself and the course, and there’s always room for improvement.” Her improvement over her four years here at the University is easy to see. She has set new career lows every season while earning numerous accolades. Strauss was named a 2014 Arthur Ashe, Jr. Sports Scholar and was on the Aca-
TCU
TOP TWEET
WOMEN’S GOLF
For senior women’s golfer Bertine Strauss, the 9,000mile plane ride home to Koster, South Africa, takes almost a full day. But the experiences she has gained being so far from from home have only helped her lead Texas through the past three seasons. “Being so far away from home forces you to be independent, go out of your comfort zone and try new things,” Strauss said. Strauss takes all of these lessons to heart — and to the golf course, where she has continued to push herself to new heights and anchor the team. So far this season, Strauss has achieved a career-low 66 (-6) at the Schooner Fall Classic, where she also set a school record for the lowest three-round total, a 3-under 207. In addition to playing well as an individual, Strauss has set the tone for the team this season. Of the seven tournaments the Longhorns have competed in, Strauss has been the low player five times. Off the course, she has been a leader in the clubhouse. “This year, I’ve been leading by example,” Strauss said. “There are no freshmen on the team this year, so everyone is
NCAAB
demic All-Big 12 First Team in both 2013 and 2014. But these accomplishments are nothing in comparison to the valuable lessons and experiences she has learned while being away from home. “It’s a luxury to be able to go home,” Strauss said. “I appreciate what UT has given me. It’s easy to see how well the University treats its athletes, and I’m thankful, especially considering what it’s like back in South Africa.” The independence and motivation Strauss gained from her worldly perspec-
tive have also encouraged her to pursue other goals after she graduates in May. Come August, she plans on attempting to make the LPGA tour. Before then, however, Strauss looks to finish the season strong. The Longhorns’ next tournament is the Texas-Hawaii Classic on March 21 at the Kapalua G. C. Bay Course in Kapalua, Hawaii. “I’m definitely looking forward to Hawaii,” Strauss said. “Especially after last week, when I came in strong and was in contention the entire tournament.”
RECAP MEN’S GOLF CAROLINE HALL Since the start of the spring season, winning has become a habit for the No. 3 Texas men’s golf team. The Longhorns shot 26-under par at the Southern Highlands Collegiate Masters on Wednesday to earn their second-straight team win. The team finished 10 strokes ahead of the second-place team, No. 23 Oklahoma, and beat nine ranked teams in total, including conference rivals No. 11 Texas Tech and No. 22 Oklahoma State. “This was a great win coming off some positive momentum we gained last week in Florida,” head coach John Fields said. Following the lead of sophomore Beau Hossler, who finished in the top two on the individual leaderboard for the second-consecutive week, every Texas player finished under par. Hossler shot a 9-under 207 over the three days, with senior Kramer Hickok not far behind at 8-under par for a fourth-place individual finish. Freshmen Scottie Scheffler (-5) and Doug Ghim (-1) and sophomore Gavin Hall (-1) rounded out the team. The Longhorns take the course again on March 21 in Greensboro, Georgia, for the Linger Longer Invitational.
Longhorns gear up for Big Ten opponents Following a 10-day break from match play, No. 8 Texas men’s tennis will begin its outdoor season against unranked Michigan State on Thursday at the Caswell Tennis Center. Thursday’s match begins a three-match run against Big Ten opponents for the Longhorns. Texas will face off against No. 4 Illinois on Saturday and No. 10 Ohio State on Tuesday. Texas comes into Thursday’s contest riding a fourmatch win streak, with all four victories coming against teams currently ranked in the top 20 of the ITA rankings. Senior Søren Hess-Olesen has been a standout during the Longhorns’ winning streak, climbing to No. 2 in the nation in singles — 11 spots higher than his preseason ranking. HessOlesen is currently undefeated this season, holding a record of 12–0 and the No. 1 singles spot for the Longhorns. Texas seniors Lloyd Glasspool and Adrien Berkowicz are the only other Longhorns to join HessOlesen in the national rankings, at No. 52 and No. 60 spots, respectively. With Michigan State reeling from losses in three of its last four matches, Texas will look to find another win in its first outdoor match of the year. If they can secure the win, the Longhorns will continue their momentum in their highly anticipated matches against Big Ten powerhouses Illinois and Ohio State. —Michael Shapiro
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KAT SAMPSON, LIFE&ARTS EDITOR | @thedailytexan Thursday, March 12, 2015
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SXSW
Austin takes precautions as SXSW approaches By Marisa Charpentier & Katie Walsh
The Austin Center for Events (ACE), Austin Police Department and the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission will be teaming up this year to add extra safety precautions to the festival because of the growing number of South By Southwest attendees. As one of the new precautions, the ACE has reduced the number of temporary event permits.
@thedailytexan
Tens of thousands of people will flood the streets of Austin next week for South By Southwest. As more people make Austin their spring break destination, the City is taking new safety precautions. The Austin Center for Events (ACE) — the office that issues temporary event permits — the Austin Police Department and the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission are collaborating to make SXSW a safer festival. Bill Manno, ACE corporate special events program manager, said ACE reduced the number of issued permits for public events from 168 to 147 between 2014– 2015. Manno said ACE plans to reduce the number of permits to 125 for future SXSW conventions. “After last year’s South By, we had some public meetings and online surveys,” Manno said. “There was a lot of discussion about how it’s just too overprogrammed.” Event coordinators must acquire certain types of permits before using spaces in the city not typically used for public events, such as parking lots. This year, Manno said ACE paid more attention to the cumulative impact of events already taking place in a requested area. “There have been some [events] that have been denied just because they want to do it on the same date and same
Mengwen Cao Daily Texan file photo
location as many others,” Manno said. Event coordinators who do acquire permission to host temporary outdoor music events will face earlier cutoff times. In the past, these events could continue until 2 a.m. To abate neighboorhood complaints, temporary outdoor music events will end earlier than others to prevent overcrowded streets. Temporary outdoor music events end at 10 p.m. Sunday through Wednesday, 11 p.m. Thursday and 12 a.m. Friday and Saturday.
ACE worked with Austin Energy this year to improve the safety of the events downtown by adding brighter LED bulbs to streetlights on Sixth Street. “We’re hoping we can illuminate some of the traditionally dark areas,” Manno said. “Sixth Street has some really nice shade trees, but they also block out light and cause some dark spots, which sometimes the criminal element will take advantage of.” The APD will have 10–12 percent more officers at SXSW, said Tim Pruett,
commander over special events for APD. “[Attendees will] definitely see additional officers downtown,” Pruett said. “The more public safety people you see downtown, the safer you feel.” TABC — the state agency that issues and enforces alcoholic beverage permits — will also bring in extra staff this year, TABC Capt. Harry Nanos said. Nanos said some of the extra staff will be undercover, looking for violations such as underage drinking, venues selling to minors and overconsumption.
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Nanos said changes are partly in response to last year’s drunken driving incident on Red River Street, which resulted in four deaths and injuries to more than 20 others. “Whenever you have an incident like last year, it makes you look at what you can do to make things safer,” Nanos said. “What is it that we can do to ensure that the safety of the public is met?” SXSW publicist Elizabeth Derczo said in an email that the City’s changes this year will allow
festival-goers to have a more enjoyable experience. “Safety is, and always has been, a top priority for SXSW,” Derczo said. “We do everything we can to support their efforts.” This year’s efforts are just the beginning, Manno said. As SXSW becomes an increasingly popular destination, the City will be forced to adapt. “It’s not just a one-time fix,” Manno said. “It’s a continual fix. We have to continue to look at how to make the event more fun, safer and more inviting.”
ART
Photographer captures Petawatt Laser facility By Mary Cantrell & Emily Gibson @thedailytexan
Illustration by Lindsay Rojas | Daily Texan Staff
Cyberbullying linked to empathy barriers
By Ellen Airhart @ellenairhart
One hundred forty characters composed in 20 seconds can ruin someone’s day. Nearly half of all adolescents have experienced online bullying, according to a study by the American Psychological Association. The study, which looked at the connection between empathy and cyberbullying, broke empathy into three main cognitive processes. The first is an emotional response. When observers notice someone else suffering, similar painful feelings are activated in their own body. The second process is more sophisticated. Observers imagine the other person’s perspective and metaphorically spend some time in their shoes. In the third process, the brain suppresses its own emotional response, so observers are not overwhelmed by
their feelings. Empathetic responses are compromised when there is a screen between participants in a social interaction. The first process of emotional response is significantly dampened when the sufferer is not within sight or earshot. About 90 percent of an emotional message is nonverbal, according to the book “Emotional Intelligence” by psychologist Daniel Goleman. Facial expressions, especially, can transmit crucial information about how a person is reacting to an experience. The cyberbully is less likely to understand and be affected by the emotional pain of the victim. Forty-one percent of adolescent cyberbullies reported they “did not feel anything” as a result of their actions, according to a study in the American Journal of Orthopsychiatry. Only 16 percent felt guilty. Although the bully’s empathetic response is limited, the effect on the victim is still significant. In the same study, about 80 percent of adolescents reported that online bullying affected their
day-to-day life. “There are so many studies out there that show being bullied predicts lower performance in academics, less secure relationships, anxiety, depression and other negative outcomes,” said Haeyeon Lee, psychology graduate student who is researching the causes of bullying. Not all online situations are, however. A study in the journal Virtual Reality showed that 81 percent of online communities had some sort of empathetic message. For example, in an online community of runners dealing with knee injuries, people left new and struggling members kind and thoughtful messages, such as “Keep your chin up,” and “Don’t lose faith.” The amount of empathy in an online community depends on its purpose and the gender of its participants, according to the same study. Comments on message boards with a higher proportion of women were less aggressive. The presence of a moderator who regulates and deletes comments in an online community increased empathy and decreased hostility
Multimedia Check out our Science Scene video for more on empathy and its connection to cyberbullying at dailytexanonline.com. among its users. While social media platforms don’t have moderators as other online communities do, executives are taking note of the effects of cyberbullying. Organizations such as Twitter have vowed to take steps to create platforms where users feel safe. “We suck at dealing with abuse and trolls on the platform and we’ve sucked at it for years,” Twitter CEO Dick Costolo said in an internal memo cited in The Verge. Scientists at UT aren’t giving up on putting an end to bullying. Lee said the research team she’s a part of is confident there are viable ways to solve this issue. “Bullying is a complex problem,” Lee said. “We are trying to find a subtler way to change mindsets.”
As popularized in the science fiction novel “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy,” the answer to the universe is 42. That’s also the number of photographs in Austin photographer Robert Shults’ scifi-inspired project on the highest peak power laser in the world. “We got it down to 41, but we decided that was kind of a weird number,” Shults said. “So we added another one to get to 42 because it’s a popular number in science fiction.” The photo project titled “The Superlative Light” documents the Texas Petawatt Laser facility located on the first three floors of Robert Lee Morris Hall. Shults took photographs in the Petawatt facility nearly every weekday for nine months. Photographing a laser posed challenges to Shults. Shults shot the project on an analog range-finder camera because of the conditions in the underground laboratory and the fear of burning out his eyes or his camera’s lens. “The laser dictates how it can be photographed,” Shults said. He also had to wait until one of the people he was authorized to follow entered the lab and then make sure he stayed in their line of sight. When he finished, he had taken 50 rolls of film and roughly 1,000 pictures of the ongoing experiments at the laser facility. “It’s literally right there under our feet — the brightest light in the universe, the most powerful laser in the world, this completely unparalleled thing,” Shults
said. “There’s tens of thousands of students who walk across that space everyday and have no idea that they’re standing on the roof of this very historically significant device.” The images will be on display in the Art.Science.Gallery. until April 11. Shults will speak at the gallery as part of South By Southwest on Saturday and on March 28 about the relationship between art and science and the influence of science fiction movies on the work, respectively. Shults said the project was a chance for him to convey the awe he felt when looking at the laser and capture the beauty of the lab for people who don’t have access to it. “It’s a big responsibility for me to be the designated observer,” Shults said. Mikael Martinez, chief of operations in the Petawatt facility, said the photographs offer an artistic view of what happens in the lab. “It shows the lab in a different light — no pun intended,” Martinez said. “It shows a bunch of our hardware and physicists working in the lab, and you can get a picture of what it looks like and what it is that we’re actually doing.” Gilliss Dyer, a research associate in the college of natural sciences who works at the center that manages the laser, said the project helps people who aren’t science experts understand the laser’s power. “We see a lot of beauty in the science ourselves, which requires you to have an understanding of the physics,” Dyer said. “[Shults] shows [the laser] in a different way and captures it in another light that captures the sense of wonder you feel when you’re first learning about the laser.”