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MEN’S BASKETBALL
Smart will be next basketball coach By Peter Sblendorio @petersblendorio
Texas men’s basketball reached a deal Thursday to make Shaka Smart its next head basketball coach, according to multiple reports. Smart, 37, has spent the past six seasons as the head coach at Virginia Commonwealth. He burst into the national spotlight in 2011 when he led the Rams to the Final Four.
He’s won at least 26 games in each of his six seasons at VCU and made the NCAA Tournament in each of the last five years. Although he never won a regular season conference title in his time at VCU, Smart boasts an impressive 163–56 career record in his six seasons as a head coach and is 7–5 in the NCAA Tournament. According to multiple reports, Smart accepted the position at Texas after
meeting with his team late Thursday night, launching him into what is only his second head coaching position. Athletic director Steve Patterson was rumored to have had his eyes on Smart from the start, flying to Richmond, Virginia, earlier Thursday for a meeting. The deal-making hit a bit of a hitch after Smart’s team meeting got delayed for two hours, but, at the end of the day, Texas got
its guy. Before his stint with the Rams, Smart spent time as an assistant coach with California University of Pennsylvania, Akron, Clemson and Florida stretching back to 1999. Texas football head coach Charlie Strong also served as an assistant coach for the Gators’ football team while Smart was with the basketball team.
COACH page 5
Faux golden eggs cause confusion at Co-op hunt @laurenreneeflo
Shaka Smart
Future head coach
Lawmakers debate age of legal responsibility By Eleanor Dearman @ellydearman
Under Texas’ current legal system, 17-year-olds accused of crimes are usually tried as adults — but lawmakers are working to raise that age by one year. On Wednesday, the Juvenile Justice and Family Issues subcommittee heard three bills that would raise the age at which youth are tried as adults to 18. The bills were left pending in committee. Texas is one of nine states that places 17-year-olds in the criminal justice system rather than the juvenile justice system, according to Rep. Ruth McLendon (D-San Antonio), who was a juvenile probations officer for 17 years before she was elected to office. “From my observations, one thing is clear, and that is a juvenile may be large enough and tall enough and strong enough to look and talk an adult, but there is no assurance that they Illustration by John Pesina | Daily Texan Staff
RESEARCH
UNIVERSITY
By Lauren Florence
LEGISLATURE
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About 40 students searched campus Thursday morning hoping to find a golden egg and win a semester’s worth of free textbooks in the process, but were misled by the presence of “fake” eggs that weren’t part of the official hunt. As part of an egg hunt organized by the University Coop, students followed clues posted by Co-op officials on Twitter and Snapchat to search for three eggs hidden on campus. The winner was promised free textbooks for a semester, and the two runner-ups would receive $100 Co-op gift cards, said William Kelleher, promotions manager at the Co-op. Before the hunt began, someone placed “fake” eggs, not sponsored by the Co-op, around campus, leading several students to believe they had won the free textbooks. “Some students have too much time on their hands,” Kelleher said. “[I’m] bummed someone did it, but that stuff happens. I felt bad for the students that found [the fake eggs] — it put them on an emotional roller coaster.” He said he doesn’t know who planted the fake eggs. The Co-op put on the hunt to increase its social media presence, according to Kelleher. This is the first time the Co-op has used Snapchat in an event to attract students. Biology freshman Brodi
EGG HUNT page 2
CAMPUS
Panelists discuss the Jewish organizations prepare for Passover power of social media By Sebastian Herrera @SebasAHerrera
By Katie Keenan @thedailytexan
Social media has increased global awareness of revolutions and made the expression and spread of ideas easier, according to a panel of social media experts. A group of experts spoke on campus Thursday about the impact of technology and new media on political revolutions and regimes, especially in nondemocratic countries. James Stratton, international relations and global studies senior, said he thinks social media helped him spread awareness of the 2010 Arab Spring revolutions. “I am very interested in the Arab Spring, [and] before social media, if I wanted to tell people in my social network about the protest, I would have to physically find them or make something on paper, post it up,” Stratton
said. “Hopefully, they’d see it. Now I could just whip out my phone.” After former Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak was ousted in 2011, governments caught on to the potentially drastic effects of social media campaigns and learned how one dissenting tweet can lead to a widespread political movement, according to Bahaa Ghobrial, a radio-television-film graduate student who studies social media. Ghobrial said when traditional governments acknowledge the power of social media to cause unrest, they begin to worry about political dissidents who before did not pose an obvious threat. “[To cause a revolution], it has to be everything all together,” Ghobrial said. “So there’s the social movement,
SOCIAL MEDIA page 2
Five cooks chopped carrots. Forty-five pounds of brisket sat in the refigerator, waiting to be cooked. Among the piles of ingredients lining the kitchen counters, bread — in fact, all products that contain yeast — were conspicuously absent. This was the scene inside the kitchen at Texas Hillel, the Jewish student organization, Thursday afternoon. Community members prepared for one of the biggest holidays of the Jewish calendar, Passover. Passover, which commemorates the liberation of Israelite slaves from Egypt as described in the Book of Exodus, is an eight-day holiday during which Jews around the world celebrate freedom and renewal. As part of the holiday,
which begins Friday, Texas Hillel is hosting a seder, a ceremonial Passover dinner where scripture readings will take place, and traditional Jewish food will be served. Margo Sack, Texas Hillel director of Jewish student life, said anyone is welcome to come to the seder. “We welcome all students to this ceremony,” Sack said. “It’s especially incumbent of us at a place like UT to Griffin Smith | Daily Texan Staff understand and learn about Texas Hillel cooks prepare food for the organization’s annual each other to promote dia- Passover celebration Thursday afternoon. logue and understanding. These seder nights will in the Hebrew Bible and Chabad will host, accorddo that.” from the legendary story ing to Rabbi Zev Johnson. Sack said one of the of Israelites not having Johnson said Passover is most iconic Passover foods, enough time to let their a holiday from which evmatzah, demonstrates the bread rise when they were eryone can draw meaning. meaning behind all aspects fleeing Egypt. “This holiday is all about of the seder. Matzah is a Less than 600 feet from freedom,” Johnson said. flat, cracker-like version Texas Hillel at the Chabad “Freedom not just for the Jewof bread, made under spe- House, another Jewish stu- ish community, but freedom cific regulations and with- dent organization, students that we try to find for every out any yeast. Sack said its and staff were preparing for community, as we remember significance derives from a crowd of about 100 people not only our suffering but the the commandments found for the first of two seders
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Radio-television-film freshman Michael McGehee dries off after wakeboarding at Lake Austin on Thursday.
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EGG HUNT
PASSOVER
Amos, who found one of the fake eggs near Littlefield Fountain, said the hunt was frustrating because he thought he had won free textbooks for a semester, which he said would have lifted a major financial burden. “It definitely bothered me that someone had hidden fake golden eggs on the campus,” Amos said. “Once I had found the fake golden egg, I immediately stopped looking and checking Twitter for updates to its location, which is probably exactly what the person who hid them was hoping for.” Zach Perlman, physical culture and sports sophomore, found one of the eggs containing a gift card. He said because many students came close to finding the same egg, he had to answer a trivia question correctly in order to
suffering that still happens all over the world.” Attendance at this year’s Texas Hillel and Chabad House seders will likely be half of what it usually is because the holiday falls on a weekend, which means many students will travel home instead of staying on campus, Johnson said. Even if turnout is low, the two Passover events give those who do attend a chance to learn about culture and religion, said undeclared freshman Rachel Wright. “Passover is a community holiday that brings everyone together,” Wright, who is Jewish, said. “Even if you’re not Jewish, I think it’s a good opportunity to explore and learn.”
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Illustration by Melanie Westfall | Daily Texan Staff
win the egg officially. “It was funny because when asked [the trivia question], every person around pulled out their phones and tried to figure out the answer, including me,” Perlman said.
“I just got lucky and was able to figure it out first.” The Co-op gave free Tshirts to students who found the fraudulent eggs and believed they had won free textbooks, Kelleher said.
NEWS
continues from page 1 have the maturity or intellectual growth to evaluate consequences and the ability to make decisions in the same manner as we expect from adults,” McLendon said. Rep. Gene Wu (D-Houston) said he supports a change in the age of criminal responsibility because minors are being tried as adults for relatively small, nonviolent crimes. According to an interim report released by the committee, 44 percent of 17-year-olds arrested in 2013 were charged with larceny, the possession of marijuana or for consumption or possession of liquor. “Your chances of going to school, getting a job, getting licensed — heck, even finding an apartment — [are] greatly damaged,” Wu said. A recent study conducted at the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs found offenses committed by 17-year-olds were more aligned with crimes committed by 16-year-olds than crimes committed by adults. “[17-year-olds] are typically arrested for nonviolent, minor offenses,” said Michele Deitch, the study’s author and LBJ senior lecturer, at the hearing. “Patterns of offenses and arrests really mirror that of the 16-year-olds, with slightly more drinking and drug offenses, which you would probably expect.” Ray Allen testified at the hearing on behalf of the Texas Probation Association. He said while the Association supports a change in the criminal responsibility age, the change should not be immediate. Allen said there are concerns about the costs and time counties would need to implement the change. “We absolutely do not oppose the policy change,” Allen said. “Our concerns … are focused almost entirely on the length of time we believe is necessary to make this change take place.” It costs $50.04 per day to incarcerate a person at a state prison, compared to $366.88 per day to incarcerate someone at a juvenile detention center, according to the committee’s report. The report also found that 17-year-olds made up three percent of all adult arrests in 2013. Neurobiology junior Kate Dembny said since 17-year olds are generally not considered adults, they should not be tried as adults. “Seventeen-year-olds don’t get any other rights, so being tried as an adult is inherently unfair,” Dembny said.
SOCIAL MEDIA continues from page 1
but also that the social movement would get the traditional media’s attention. All these newspapers that I have in my study, they start to report on the Egyptian revolution after the demonstration happened and succeeded.” When social media mobilizes people to protest in real life, mainstream media outlets begin to report on that mobilization, which in turn causes governments take the protesters seriously, Ghobrial said. Governments around the world, including those in Russia and Iran, now recognize the increasing power of social media, Ghobrial said. From identifying protesters in videos in order to arrest them, to launching their own compelling campaigns, totalitarian regimes have used social media to their own ends, he said. Jessica Weaver, outreach director for the Center for Russian, Eastern European, and Eurasian studies, said she thinks social media’s power to influence public opinion is relevant for every society and government, not just those that are undemocratic. “This was a topic that we felt was not only pressing, but relates across all global regions,” Weaver said.
RILEY BRANDS, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF / @TexanEditorial Friday, April 3, 2015
EDITORIAL
3
COLUMN
Committee should reconsider Texas common core necessary Wallace Hall impeachment By Daniel Hung
Daily Texan Columnist
Charlie Pearce | Daily Texan File Photo
A Travis County grand jury declined to indict UT System Regent Wallace Hall on Tuesday on charges of violating student privacy, failing to disclose material information on his original regent application or exceeding his role as a regent with massive open records requests of the University. However, it took the unusual step of issuing a report condemning Hall and calling for his removal.
On Tuesday, after an exceedingly lengthy deliberation process, a Travis County grand jury declined to indict UT System Regent Wallace Hall, the embattled University official who has embarked on a years-long witch hunt against President William Powers Jr. In a poignant and rare move, however, the grand jury made a specific point of issuing a report that called for Hall’s removal from office. We completely agree. Given that the bar to convict Hall of many of the accusations levied against him, such as violating student privacy or overstepping his role as a regent, would have been fairly high, we think the grand jury’s decision to no-bill Hall was the right one. Instead, we believe impeachment by the state legislature, which does not have a very high burden of proof, is still — in our opinion — the best option. In the last couple of years, Hall has requested more than 800,000 pages of documents related to University affairs, in a blatant attempt to dig up dirt against Powers and other University officials. The ludicrous and frivolous records requests cost the University more than $1 million to process. These nefarious acts, as well as the self-de-
structive and malicious way in which Hall completed his duties, led many to correctly determine him unfit for his prestigious office, including the grand jury tasked with investigating him. Furthermore, the grand jury aptly noted Hall’s total hypocrisy insofar as his obsession with transparency. While Hall’s antics were ostensibly inspired by a dedication to transparency on the 40 Acres, he has stonewalled investigators, such as the House Committee on Transparency in State Agency Operations, and refused to communicate with the grand jury in a way that left a paper trail. We reiterate our call for Hall to step down, one notably echoed by Regents Chairman Paul Foster in May of last year. Additionally, we believe that this action — likely the end of the line for Hall’s bout with the criminal justice system — should spur legislators into reopening possible articles of impeachment against the embattled regent. Theoretically, Hall’s wish has become a reality, as Powers will be stepping down this June. However, given his recent whiny comments about his likely successor — current Provost Gregory Fenves — it would be the height of naiveté to think he would go away.
Gov. Greg Abbott has stated he “wants next year’s pre-kindergarten class to graduate from high school in the top-ranked school system in the nation.” This is a great goal, like many of his other goals, but how do we achieve this? Currently, Texas ranks 39th in the nation in education and receives an overall grade of C-, according to Education Week’s State Report. For the SAT, which many of us have taken, Texas ranks 47th in the nation and would likely rank dead last if all (instead of the 62 percent currently) Texas high school students were required to take the SAT. The problem is real. Texas students are struggling to keep up with the rest of the nation. The United States is having similar problems on a global scale, with our country falling behind other developed nations in recent decades. As a result, state education chiefs and governors in 48 states came together to develop the Common Core, a set of clear college- and career-ready standards for kindergarten through 12th grade in the English language, arts, literacy and mathematics. It was a bipartisan effort in creating, adopting and implementing standards, which are designed to ensure that students graduating from high school are prepared to take credit-bearing introductory courses in two- or four-year college programs or to enter the workforce. Forty-three states have adopted Common Core, and the results have been successful. The top nine states in education, according to Education Week, have all adopted Common Core. In addition, the top 11 states with regard to SAT scores have adopted Common Core (No. 5 Minnesota only adopted the English Language Arts standards). Opponents of Common Core cannot argue against the facts of the program; thus, they have fallen back on catchphrases and rhetoric, such as, “We do not need a onesize-fits-all solution,” or by comparing it to the controversial Affordable Care Act
(Obamacare). Opposition to Common Core comes from the far right of the Republican Party, which I personally believe opposes Common Core because of President Barack Obama’s support of it. On the other hand, the majority of Republican governors support Common Core because they participated in its creation and have seen the positive results from its implementation. Studies have shown that Common Core standards are a lot better than 85 to 90 percent of the states standards that they replace. We need more rigorous standards to better prepare this country’s students for higher education and for the workforce, which is why organizations such as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce as well as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation have supported Common Core. Additionally, Texas simply cannot become the best state for primary education with the low standards that we have now. I understand that politically, it is perilous for Republicans, especially in a state like Texas, to support Common Core. I believe Abbott, who opposes Common Core, does so because he is worried about a primary challenge from the right in 2018. Specifically, he is worried about Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick. However, there is a way around this. What Texas needs to do is adopt standards superior to Common Core. Don’t let Common Core be the ceiling, but simply the floor for educational standards. For example, Minnesota is the highest-ranked state, which has not adopted Common Core completely. Part of the reason is that Minnesota has developed standards that are, in fact, superior to Common Core in math! It is without a doubt that Texas needs better education standards. We are ranked toward the bottom in almost every metric, yet — due to our low academic standards — we have the second-highest high school graduation rate in the nation. This indicates that we are graduating too many high school seniors who are not ready for higher education or the workforce. I agree with Abbott that Texas should be number one in education, but to achieve that, we need to adopt Common Core or standards superior to it. Hung is a first-year law student from Brownsville.
FIRING LINE
Black and Latino studies students Tennis courts are University issue left out of building name change FIRING LINE
I would like to offer a significantly different perspective from the recent Firing Lines by Bobby French and John Stephen Taylor, neither of whom I know. My mother introduced me to tennis at Eastwoods Park just north of UT in 1945, when I was 9 years old. After 2 weeks she turned me over to Daniel Penick, the longtime UT tennis coach (over 50 years) on Saturday mornings. When Caswell Tennis Center opened a short time later, I spent my youth through my years at Austin High there almost every day. Then, in 1954, when I enrolled in Plan II at UT, I was on the freshman team. My senior year, 1958, I was captain. I got to play under Penick and my junior and senior years under Coach Wilmer Allison (only the second tennis coach in the school’s history). My junior year I got to play with Dave Snyder (a senior), who became the third coach for the next 29 years. The original courts where I played were on the north end of Memorial Stadium and were clay. The tennis alumni had a meeting in October to discuss the situation with athletic director Steve Patterson. We were told that we, the alumni, needed to raise $15,000,000 before construction could begin. Meanwhile one of the best collegiate teams in the country must work out at
the Intramural Fields, where there are no stands, no dressing rooms and no scoreboards. Contrary to the information given by Taylor, the new facility will not be built at the Intramural Fields, from what I have been told. One other point that needs to be addressed: Taylor asks, “Where has Coach [Michael] Center been?” I must point out that Center is not in a position to make a decision. He has more than enough to do to coach some of the finest young men that have ever represented the University of Texas tennis team. They are students, gentlemen on the court and winners. I, and the alums, could not be prouder of the team and the coaches. Now I hope the University officials who have the power and the money to make the decisions will act with due speed to bring about a solution to this unjust and inexcusable situation. — Laurence A. Becker, Ph.D., captain of the UT Tennis Team (1958), assistant coach (1962-1964), in response to Bobby French’s Tuesday Firing Line titled “Texas Tennis deserves proper home” and John Stephen Taylor’s Wednesday Firing Line titled “Texas Tennis fan got it right.”
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.
Photo courtesy of The University of Texas at Austin
It was recently revealed that the Black and Latino Studis Building, pictured above, will soon be renamed the Gordon White Building.
I am a student at UT, a nontraditional student in the Center for Mexican American Studies and the department of Mexican American and Latina/o Studies. It recently came to my attention through a letter that a ceremony will soon be held to announce that the BLS (Black and Latino Studies) building has been renamed the Gordon White Building. According to the letter, it is being named after Edmund T. Gordon’s parents (he is the Chair of the African and African Diaspora Studies Department) and Charles and Fran White, artistactivist and teacher-activist, respectively, who donated art pieces that now hang in the Blanton Museum of Art. The objection I have is that there is no part of the name that honors anyone in Mexican American Studies/Latino Studies. In fact, we the students did not even receive notification or even an invitation to the event. As you can see, the event is already scheduled for May 6. While no disrespect is intended to the Gordons or the Whites, I, as a Mexican American Studies student, feel that we have been slighted. The intent of the building was to house
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.
both African American Studies and Mexican American/Latino Studies, and yet it seems that we were left out completely from the name selection and from the renaming ceremony. And my understanding is that the AADS students also had no idea this was even happening and that they also feel that attaching the name “White” is somewhat discordant with a building built to house African American students and Mexican American/Latino students. As hard as it has been for our communities to come out of the shadows, we have been relegated back into the shadows and taken several steps backward. We would like to know who chose the name and why neither group of students was even made aware that these names were being considered. We would rather have it remain BLS until a name that reflects both departments is considered and agreed upon. — Yolanda Estrada Muñoz, Center for Mexican American Studies and the Department of Mexican American and Latina/o Studies, nontraditional Student.
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GARRETT CALLAHAN, SPORTS EDITOR | @texansports Friday, April 3, 2015
BASEBALL
Longhorns look to end early-inning issues By Jacob Martella
Despite hitting his first home run last week at Texas State, freshman catcher Michael Cantu has only recorded two hits and a run in the last four games as the Longhorns have struggled offensively the past few weeks.
@ViewFromTheBox
Other than the sweep of Kansas State a few weeks ago, the latter half of the last month was rough for the Longhorns. In the last six nonconference games, Texas has only pulled out one win — a comeback victory at Texas State — while averaging just three runs per game. Tuesday’s loss to Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, in which the Longhorns struggled to hit for the first six innings, came on the heels of only scoring three runs in three games at Nebraska over the weekend. Following that loss, head coach Augie Garrido offered a seemingly simple solution to fix the problem. “We need to play hard for nine innings from beginning to end,” Garrido said. Putting together a complete game has been a struggle for Texas in recent weeks. After jumping out to a hot start, the Longhorns offense has cooled off considerably, particularly in the first two-thirds of the game. In those last six nonconference games, Texas has only scored a combined three runs in the first six innings. In the last third of those games, a light has switched
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Daulton Venglar Daily Texan file photo
on for the Longhorns’ batters. Texas has scored 15 runs combined in the seventh inning or later in those six games, and the team has either tied or taken the lead in the eighth inning or later in three of those games. Garrido said the difference, particularly in the loss Tuesday, comes when the players realize they might lose the game. “In the seventh inning, there was a huge change, and we could just see that from a
coaching standpoint,” Garrido said Tuesday. Despite the recent struggles, Texas still sits comfortably in the conference standings. Because of a series win against West Virginia and the sweep of Kansas State, the Longhorns are first in the Big 12 with a 5–1 conference record, and they hold a one-game lead over Oklahoma State and TCU. But flipping the switch against Oklahoma State might be easier said than done.
The Cowboys, having already taken two of three games from conference favorite TCU recently, come into this weekend’s series tied for second in the Big 12. A series win over Texas would give them a big leg up in claiming the regular-season title. Oklahoma State also has a solid pitching staff, which can shut down most lineups. The Cowboys’ collective 2.61 ERA ranks second in the conference. Cowboys senior starting
pitcher Michael Freeman leads the conference with two complete games and boasts a 5–0 record, 1.32 ERA and 43 strikeouts. Nevertheless, the Longhorns just have to keep moving forward, according to freshman catcher Michael Cantu “You have to bring it when you don’t have it,” Cantu said. “We just have to bring it no matter what … We just have to keep grinding it out.”
Wright, Texas ready to take on familiar faces Texas faces off against Texas State this weekend in a two-game, home-andhome series stitched together by heartstrings. The matchup will bring together former teammates and place siblings against each other. Cat Osterman, Texas softball legend, will return in her new role as Texas State assistant coach. For freshman pitcher Erica Wright, who will don her No. 20 uniform proudly, another Wright bearing the same number in the visitor’s dugout will tug at her emotions. Texas State’s junior pitcher Ashley Wright is Erica’s older sister. They grew up supporting each other and continue to do so despite playing each other at the collegiate level. “People always ask us, ‘Are y’all really competitive towards each other?’ but, honestly, we’re the exact opposite,” Erica said. “We both want each other to do super well. It’s so great playing her; she’s my best friend.” With Texas State’s ace, freshman Randi Rupp, throwing so well in recent games, it’s unclear whether the Wright sisters will have a pitcher’s duel this weekend. But that might be helpful for Erica, who said it was tricky to play against her sister in the fall. “I was so nervous — not for me, even though it was my first start,” Erica said. “I was nervous for her, but I wanted us to do well, too, so it was kind of a struggle in that way.” Other players on the team said they appreciate seeing
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familiar faces. Junior center fielder Lindsey Stephens said she enjoys going up against Osterman. “It’s always fun because when you walk past her, you’re like, ‘What about that hit?’ or, ‘Why’d you throw that pitch at me, Cat?’” Stephens said. “She’s watched us, and she knows our weaknesses and our strengths, so it’s always fun to have that familiar face to kind of pick on.” Erica has been one of the team’s strongest players. She earned Big 12 Conference Pitcher of the Week honors for her performance in the sweep of Kansas last weekend, has the best record on the staff at 10–4 and her 2.43 ERA is second best on the team. Texas has dominated the series between the two, winning the last ten meetings. But Stephens said they know they need to keep up their “never quit” attitude. “Even when we’re down, we have the offense; we have the athletes; we have the depth to keep fighting, to keep competing,” Stephens said. “We’re never out of the game.” Head coach Connie Clark said she doesn’t think the familiar faces on the other team will be a distraction. “You have fun before the game,” Clark said. “You hug them up and wish them well, and then you go about your business.” First pitch of the series will take place Friday night in San Marcos. The second game will take place at Red and Charline McCombs Field in Austin on Saturday afternoon.
Softball vs. Texas State Friday 6 p.m. in San Marcos, Saturday 1 p.m. in Austin TV: Longhorn Network (Saturday)
TOP TWEET Connor Lambert
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“It’s THE University of Texas. Im blessed to be here! #hookem.”
Marshall Tidrick | Daily Texan file photo
Although she posted a strong first season in fall, freshman libero Cat McCoy might not see action this spring after re-aggravating a foot injury during the USA Volleyball tryouts.
Longhorns set to host Mustangs By Nick Castillo @Nick_Castillo74
When Texas takes the court Friday against SMU, the team will be missing four players. Freshman libero Cat McCoy is day-to-day after re-aggravating a foot injury during the USA Volleyball tryouts. McCoy was the team’s starting libero in 2014 and didn’t play at the team’s season opener in Hawaii on March 19. Sophomore utility player Nicole Dalton is out for the spring as she rehabs an injury in order to be fully prepared for the fall season. Texas lost junior middle blocker Sara Hattis after she decided to join the women’s basketball team full-time. The Longhorns will also be without junior outside hitter Tiffany Baker, who plans to take a medical redshirt to recov-
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Joshua Guerra | Daily Texan file photo
Baseball at Oklahoma State Friday 7 p.m., Saturday 6:30 p.m., Sunday 1 p.m. TV: ESPNU (Saturday, Sunday) Radio: AM 1300 The Zone
Volleyball vs. SMU Friday 6 p.m. TV: Longhorn Network
COACH
Freshman pitcher Erika Wright might get the chance to square off against her sister, Ashley, this weekend.
THIS WEEKEND’S EVENTS
Thanks to his immediate success at VCU and his charismatic personality, Smart emerged as one of the hottest commodities in the coaching market in recent years. UCLA, Maryland and Illinois attempted to bring Smart aboard to no avail in years past. Some believed Smart was content with remaining at VCU, but coaching at Texas, a
er from an ongoing knee injury. Baker played sparingly in 2014. For the first time in four years, Texas volleyball will also take the court in Gregory Gym without Haley Eckerman and Khat Bell. Eckerman and Bell finished their four-year careers at Texas with four Big 12 championships, three NCAA Final Four appearances and an NCAA Championship. Eckerman was a twotime AVCA First-Team All-American, named the 2013 Volleyball Magazine National Player of the Year and a two-time Big 12 Conference Player of the Year. Bell was the 2012 COBRA Magazine Defensive National Player of the Year, a two-time AVCA All-America honorable mention and a three-time All-Big 12 First Team honoree.
The Longhorns began their first spring season without the duo in early March. Texas dropped the game against the Rainbow Warriors 3–1 (25–15, 20–25, 15–25, 23–25). Outside hitters junior Amy Neal and sophomore Paulina Prieto Cerame led Texas with 12 kills. Junior libero Kat Brooks also led the team with 23 digs. Texas’ middle blockers, junior Molly McCage, sophomore Chiaka Ogbogu and freshman Mirta Baselovic, had eight blocks each. Sophomore setter Chloe Collins amassed 34 assists. The Longhorns take on SMU at 6 p.m. on the Longhorn Network. Texas will continue spring play in Houston at the F.A.S.T. Tournament, followed by the Collegiate Showcase in Dallas, and will conclude the spring season with a game against UTSA on April 24.
team with seemingly endless resources, proved to be too big of an opportunity for Smart to pass up. The Longhorns could contend right away under Smart’s leadership, as they expect to return much of their roster from this past season next year. Smart likes to run a high-pressure defense called the “Havoc” defense, a system that athletic guards such as sophomore Isaiah Taylor and junior Demarcus Holland figure to
thrive in. Smart replaces Rick Barnes, whom Texas let go Sunday after 17 years. Barnes, who is the winningest head coach in program history with 402 wins, was told after the Longhorns’ loss to Butler he would return as Texas’ next head coach. However, Barnes said, “things changed,” and he was later dismissed. Barnes accepted the head coaching position at Tennessee this week.
SPORTS BRIEFLY Longhorns begin fourmatch home stand
Coming off a 4–1 loss to No. 1 Oklahoma on Sunday, No. 9 Texas will begin a four-match home stand, starting against unranked Texas Tech on Saturday at the Caswell Tennis Center in Austin. All four matches will come against unranked opponents, and the Longhorns will look to improve upon their 15–3 record before the Big 12 Men’s Tennis Championship later this month. Despite reaching No. 7 in the nation, their highest ITA ranking, on March 24 following their win against UT-Pan American, the Longhorns have struggled lately, narrowly defeating No. 22 Oklahoma State and falling to No. 1 Oklahoma last weekend. The team’s dropoff in play has been most notable in the singles positions, especially from the Longhorns’ No. 1 singles player, Søren Hess-Olesen. Hess-Olesen reached the No. 1 overall singles ranking in the most recent ITA polls but subsequently lost his next two matches, both in straight sets. With a top-10 overall ranking in the nation, the Longhorns are still contenders for a Big 12 championship, as well as a national title. In order to contend with the top teams in the nation, Texas looks to get back in the win column starting Saturday. -Michael Shapiro
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KAT SAMPSON, LIFE&ARTS EDITOR | @thedailytexan Friday, April 3, 2015
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OFFBEAT
Mortified Austin lets adults relive childhoods By Katie Walsh @katiehwalsh_atx
Most people hide their childhood diaries behind mounds of dust bunnies under their beds. Speakers at Mortified Austin shows prefer to relive their embarrassing moments by retelling them aloud to a crowd of strangers. “Every kid has a story, and every kid has struggles,” said Pierce Purselley, executive producer of Mortified Austin. “Everything that you see on stage is absolutely true. It’s real, and it’s nothing but Godgiven awkwardness — no lying, no embellishing.” Mortified Live is a national series that features adults sharing their most embarrassing childhood artifacts, such as diaries, love letters, home videos or school assignments, live on stage. The project began in 2002, and the Austin branch followed in 2008. Each local branch of Mortified organizes its own Mortified Live event, while the national Mortified organization is responsible
for the podcast, TV series and documentary. Purselley, a UT alumnus, said the show, which takes place Friday and Saturday at Spider House Cafe, is an opportunity for its six speakers and audience members to reflect on their past and laugh about it. “It is very cathartic to be able to get on stage and share your diaries,” Purselley said. “We have all been through it. We were all fragile; we were all frail; and we all survived.” Purselley said a traumatic childhood left him with few memories of his youth. That is what drew him to the show. He said listening to other people’s stories helps him reconnect to his buried ones. Speakers in the past have included a woman who wrote sexually explicit Hanson fan fiction in middle school and a woman who took her brother to prom. Speakers are regular people, most of whom are not trained performers. About a month before the show, prospective speakers contact Mortified Austin
producers and present them an item from their childhood. From there, the producers read through it with the speaker and choose the funniest material. Michelle Dahlenburg, Mortified Austin producer, former participant and UT alumnus, said audience members typically relate to the emotions behind each story. She said knowing that someone else has dealt with a similar issue in their life shows people they are not alone in their struggles or weird idiosyncrasies. “[Listening to Mortified stories] is this way of processing embarrassment and looking back on our own lives,” Dahlenburg said. “I love to watch the audience while we are doing the show and see their laughter. But they are not laughing at the person — they’re laughing with the person.” Some of the most entertaining speakers can be heard on the Mortified podcast, which aggregates live recordings from speakers across all chapters. In addition to the podcast, Mortified has a
Illustration by Lydia Thron | Daily Texan Staff
documentary on Netflix with footage of live performances and a TV series downloadable from iTunes featuring celebrities’ embarrassing stories and artifacts. Katie Moore, Mortified Austin organizing producer and former speaker, said this
weekend’s audience members can look forward to hearing a speaker’s childhood rewrite of “Jurassic Park” and excerpts from the journal of a 12-yearold searching for a husband because she believed the Rapture was coming. “When you see a person
telling their story, and they are far removed enough to see the light at the end of the tunnel, it’s inspiring,” Moore said. “I think everyone — the audience members and the speakers — walk out of the show feeling good and feeling connected to other people.”
FOOD
Delicious local brunch options for Easter eats in Austin By Elisabeth Dillon Breakfast may be the most important meal of the weekday, but brunch is the most important meal of the weekend, and Easter is no exception. The Daily Texan compiled a list of the best brunch offerings around Austin this weekend. To beat the crowds, you may want to make a reservation.
Allen’s Kitchen serves a Sunday brunch buffet fit for true Texans. The menu features items such as chicken fried chicken, house cured ham and tomato and basil pie. The restaurant locally sources its food, which varies depending on the produce that’s in season, meaning you can keep coming back for tasty new meals. Where: 7720 Highway 71 West When: Sunday brunch, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Jack Allen’s Kitchen For $16.99 per person, Jack
Chez Zee It may be famous for its
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crème brûlée French toast, but Chez Zee doesn’t stop there with brunch offerings. Gingerbread pancakes, champagne mimosas and Belgian waffles are all good reasons to wake up and get out of bed. If you’re craving something more savory, opt for the southern crab cakes benedict. Chez Zee accepts Easter brunch reservations through a reservation system on its website. Where: 5406 Balcones Dr. When: Saturday and Sunday brunch, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
FILM
‘Woman in Gold’ falls short of silver with disappointing script By Charles Liu
@CharlieInDaHaus
At best, “Woman in Gold” is a mediocre film, competently crafted but painfully undramatic. Aside from boasting Helen Mirren, who carries “Woman in Gold” on her able shoulders, it is nothing more than your average feel-good flick. Mirren does her best with a shallow script and director Simon Curtis’ (“My Week with Marilyn”) poor execution. The film focuses on the true story of Maria Altmann (Mirren), an elderly Jewish woman who fled Austria after the Nazi invasion and settled in California. Maria wants to wage a legal battle to regain a painting that belonged to her aunt, Gustav Klimt’s “Portrait of Adele Bloch Bauer I.” Maria recruits young and inexperienced lawyer Randol Schoenberg (Ryan Reynolds) to help her reclaim the portrait, one of hundreds of paintings the Nazis stole, but the portrait is an Austrian icon that the country refuses to give up. Mirren brings “Woman in Gold” a jolt of muchneeded energy, adopting a Viennese accent and delivering her comedic lines with lively wit. Reynolds barely holds his own against Mirren on screen and doesn’t display much emotional depth beyond one crying scene. He doesn’t provide any memorable moments, often fading into the background while other characters steal the spotlight. Curtis and screenwriter
Photo courtesy of The Weinstein Company
Maria Altmann (Helen Mirren) prepares to take on Austria in the U.S. Supreme Court.
Alexi Kaye Campbell overly simplify the issue of who rightfully owns the portrait. Instead of examining both sides of the conflict, they pit the righteous Maria and Randy against the mustache-twirling, villainous Austrians and their arrogant establishment. This simple-minded writing does not suit an adultoriented drama. The overbearing score by Martin Phipps and Hans Zimmer tries to make the audience feel what Curtis’ direction fails to communicate. Whenever a scene attempts to convey sadness, a somber piano score kicks in. The writing never manages to evoke any strong emotions on its own. The clichéd dialogue aims for quick laughs rather than meaningful character development. The characters themselves repeatedly hammer the film’s many messages into our heads. Among them are the usual “never give up,” “underdogs can win” and “the Nazis did a lot of bad stuff.” “Woman in Gold” barely works as entertainment. Surprise, surprise
— watching lawyers bicker about loopholes in wills gets old really fast. The film consistently portrays Maria and Randy as in the right. Its three courtroom scenes favor Maria so much that there’s never any doubt she will win back the portrait. Without the drama to pull you in, you’ll glance at your watch more times than you can count. The film’s most effective scenes are the flashbacks to Maria’s early life in Vienna. Her family life crumbles apart as the Nazis gradually take over Austria, and her heart-pounding escape from her home offers is thrilling. Curtis doesn’t depict the dehumanization of the Jews in a manner as brutal as Steven Spielberg did in “Schindler’s List,” but he still conveys the tragedy of the event. While the story of “Woman in Gold” is worth telling, Curtis and Campbell don’t do it justice. It feels like a Lifetime movie with a big budget that’s better fit for television. At least falling asleep is more preferable on your couch than in a theater chair.
Perla’s Seafood & Oyster Bar Seafood fans belong at this South Congress staple. Perla’s serves up rich and enticing brunch fare every weekend. Cold bar oyster options are always a good choice, but, if there’s a picky eater with you, suggest the homemade donut or the brandied baked grapefruit. The lobster and egg-white frittata with roasted tomatoes, avocado and basil will satisfy the egg lover in your brunch club. If the option is available, sit out on Perla’s patio and
think about all the South Congress shopping you can do after you eat. Where: 1400 S. Congress Ave. When: Saturday and Sunday brunch, 10:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. Josephine House Nestled in the quaint and historic Clarksville neighborhood, Josephine House is the place to go for brunch if you want to feel fancy. It serves fresh baked pastries, such as zucchini-and-carrot bread or buckwheat scones, in addition to hot
offerings from the kitchen. You can’t go wrong with $16 lemon ricotta pancakes served with house-made cultured butter. Another solid option is the duck hash that comes with a sunnyside-up egg, duck confit, broccoli, potatoes, turnips and red chimichurri. Wash all the goodness down with a fresh beet, orange and ginger juice. Where: 1601 Waterston Ave. When: Saturday and Sunday brunch, 10:30 a.m. – 3 p.m. For more brunch options go to thedailytexanonline.com