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Monday, April 6, 2015
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STATE
RESEARCH
Bill calls to lift gambling restrictions
Autism study explores deaf and hearing pronoun use
By Zainab Calcuttawala @zainabroo94
In alliance with the Alabama-Coushatta and the Ysleta del Sur Pueblo tribes, state Reps. Senfronia Thompson (D-Houston) and James White (R-Woodville) authored a resolution in March that would authorize gambling on all Native American lands. If passed, House Joint Resolution 129 would lead to a November ballot measure
proposing a state constitutional amendment allowing gambling on tribal lands. Ronnie Thomas, vice chairman of the AlabamaCoushatta tribe, said he is optimistic that Texans will pass the amendment. Out-of-state gaming organizations have shown opposition, but if the legislation passes and the issue goes on the ballot, there is a high chance that voters will approve the measure, Thomas said.
In 2001, the Alabama-Coushatta tribe opened a casino on its reservation in Livingston. However, after nine months of earning approximately $1 million in monthly revenue, a federal court ordered that the casino be shut down. Currently, the Kickapoo tribe runs the only functioning casino in the state in Eagle Pass. UT anthropology professor Shannon Speed said gaming rights for Texas’ Native American tribes vary according to
the method the tribes used to retain federal recognition. “The Kickapoo tribe in Texas managed to gain their recognition [in 1983] by applying for it through the Bureau of Indian Affairs,” Speed said. “The AlabamaCoushatta gained recognition through a congressional act, which stated that the tribe could not engage in any
GAMBLING page 2
By Vinesh Kovelamudi @trippyvinnie3
Illustration by Melanie Westfall Daily Texan Staff
MEN’S BASKETBALL
Smart inks seven-year coaching deal By Evan Berkowitz @Evan_Berkowitz
When men’s athletic director Steve Patterson was looking for a new head basketball coach, he said he felt Shaka Smart was the only man for the job. “We said: ‘Who do we really want?’” Patterson said. “Somebody who’s a great, dedicated coach; somebody who plays an exciting style of basketball and is really interested in developing the entire group of studentathletes both on the court and off the court; somebody who is consistent in operating in an ethical fashion; somebody that we really wanted to bring to the University of Texas. We thought of Shaka Smart.” On Thursday, Smart, the only candidate interviewed for the job, agreed to join Texas’ basketball program. He replaces former head coach Rick Barnes, who was asked to leave UT earlier after a 17-year tenure last week.
SMART page 6
Marshall Tidrick | Daily Texan Staff
Shaka Smart was introduced as the head men’s basketball coach at a Friday press conference. Smart joins Texas after six seasons at Virginia Commonwealth University.
CAMPUS
A study conducted by a UT professor and a UT alumnus found deaf children with autism tend to avoid using pronouns, mirroring similar habits observed in their hearing counterparts. “The major result was finding that deaf children with autism tended to refer to themselves with a name sign rather than a sign pronoun,” said Aaron Shield, a Boston University psychology professor who received his Ph.D. in linguistics at UT. UT linguistics professor Richard Meier and Boston University psychology professor Helen Tager-Flusberg a coauthored the study. A name sign is unique to a deaf individual and is usually given by a deaf child’s parents, whereas pronoun signs require deaf individuals to point to themselves or other people with their index fingers, according to Shield. Autistic children’s reluctance to use pronouns was previously believed to be a result of the arbitrary nature of pronouns in the English language, Shield said. “We speculate that something bigger and more basic, perhaps the way that people with autism experience the self, could be at work here,” Shield said. The fact that deaf children with autism also avoid pronouns challenges the previous perception, Shield said.
RESEARCH page 2
UNIVERSITY
UT has safeguards for students abroad By Nashwa Bawab
The University has different protocols in case any “risk situations” affect students studying abroad. According to the UT International Office public affairs specialist, UT is prepared to deal with emergency situations.
@nashwabawab
Zoe Fu | Daily Texan Staff
Ben Nava showcases a traditional Native American dance during the “Grand Entry” at the Spring Powwow on Saturday afternoon.
Organization holds sixth Native American powow By Josh Willis @joshwillis35
The UT Native American and Indigenous Collective held its sixth Spring Powwow at the East Mall on Saturday. Powwows are Native American community gatherings that often involve singing and dancing, and the UT powwow usually serves as a
showcase of various types of Native American traditions, such as religious and competitive dancing. The fivehour event was open to all members of the community and aimed to expose others to indigenous traditions. “The entire event is a huge appreciation and
POWWOW page 2
After terrorist group alShabaab killed at least 147 people, most of whom were students, in Garissa, Kenya, the UT International Office quickly ensured that there were no students or UT faculty in the region during the attack. Although there are currently no UT-affiliated study abroad programs in Kenya, the University’s international office has different protocols for a variety of “risk situations” for students studying abroad, according to Fiona Mazurenko, public affairs specialist at the International Office. “When we heard of the news going on in Kenya, there was immediately checking of databases and everything to make sure we didn’t have anybody on the ground,” Mazurenko said. The UT International Office is well prepared to deal
Mariana Muñoz Daily Texan file photo
with emergency situations, Mazurenko said. “If there was somebody there, we would work with our partners on the ground to find the student — we would reach out to them directly,” Mazurekno said. “We would reach out to the emergency contacts to locate them and make sure that they were safe and had a plan in case they needed one.” UT has evacuated students
from their study abroad programs in the past. The University evacuated students in certain areas of the Middle East during the Arab Spring, as well as students in Japan after the 2011 tsunami that left more than 15,000 dead, according to Gabriela Rios, international risk outreach coordinator at the International Office. Last year, administrators
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for Russian Express, a language and culture program, canceled the part of the program that normally takes place in Kiev, Ukraine, after political unrest erupted in the country. The program took students to Irkutsk, Russia, located in Siberia, instead. “In December, there was
ABROAD page 2