1
SPORTS PAGE 7
COMICS PAGE 6
LIFE&ARTS PAGE 8
Serving the University of Texas at Austin community since 1900
@thedailytexan
facebook.com/dailytexan
Friday, May 1, 2015
dailytexanonline.com
STATE
CAMPUS
Senate addresses tuition regulations By Eleanor Dearman @EllyDearman
The Texas Senate voted to place certain limits on Texas public universities’ tuition rates Thursday. The bill, authored by Sen. Kel Seliger (R-Amarillo), would set certain “performance measures” that public universities must meet to raise tuition. These measures range from four-year graduation rates and the number of undergraduate degrees granted to the number of hours taught
by tenured faculty and administrative costs. The bill limits tuition increases to 1 percent over the cost of inflation until 2018. After 2018, universities could raise their tuition by 3 percent, if they meet the performance measures set in the bill. Sen. Charles Schwertner (R-Georgetown) added these regulations to the bill in an amendment. Seliger said the bill is intended to hold universities accountable for proposed tuition increases. “[The bill] brings together
the concepts of accountability and tuition by requiring institutions to prove performance if they wish to increase the costs,” Seliger said. In 2003, the Texas Legislature deregulated tuition costs and granted universities’ governing boards, such as the Board of Regents, control of tuition rates. Since then, tuition has increased across the state. Tuition at UT has risen from about $2,721 to $4,905 a semester since deregulation, although it has remained relatively constant for the past several years.
University gradually adapts to new Wi-Fi
[The bill] brings together the concepts of accountability and tuition requiring institutions to prove performance if they wish to increase the costs.
By Josh Willis
—Sen. Kel Seliger (R-Amarillo), Author
@joshwillis35
Griffin Smith | Daily Texan Staff
More than 50 percent of students, faculty and staff on campus have switched to UT’s new Wi-Fi network, according to an Information Technology Service representative. William Green, director of networking and telecommunications, said in spite of some minor issues with the new network, the ITS Help Desk has not been notified of any widespread problems associated with the changing Wi-Fi. UT introduced the new Wi-Fi network “utexas” in late March in an effort to modernize the network’s security capabilities. The new network has received mixed reviews from students, and some said they have struggled to get a steady Wi-Fi connection. Geography junior Alex Van Der Colff, who said he has experienced connection problems, said he assumed the spotty service was the result of the transition. “I’ve had a problem with it connecting sometimes,” Van Der Colff said. “It maybe was a little bit slower, but I figured just because it was new.” Mathematics junior Travis Powell said his establishing connection to the new Wi-Fi was easy and hasn’t resulted in any problems. “I haven’t really had any trouble with it,” Powell said. “It just seems like normal on-campus Wi-Fi.” Dounya Alami-Nassif, Middle Eastern studies graduate
Workers at Mellow Mushroom clean the restaurant and stack chairs for the last time Thursday afternoon. The closing of Mellow Mushroom comes after their lease ended and was bought by Urban Outfitters, forcing the Guadalupe location to shut their doors.
WI-FI page 2
Tuition for next school year is set at the same $4,905 for traditional, or non-fixed, in-state tuition. University officials have voiced opposition to state tuition regulation. Incoming president Gregory Fenves said he thinks the Board
of Regents is the best determiner of tuition rates at UT. “I think the University [and] the Board of Regents working as a public agency has the knowledge and the availability to set
SENATE
page 2
CAMPUS
Mellow Mushroom sells last pizza, closes By Nashwa Bawab @nashwabawab
Shortly after the chef rolled the final ball of dough into a pizza, Mellow Mushroom on Guadalupe Street closed its doors for the last time. Kitchen manager David Torres, who formally confirmed the closing, said the restaurant would shut down permanently as soon as it had sold the last pizza. The restaurant first opened its Guadalupe location in 1974 and has been serving hungry college students ever since. Earlier this year, Urban Outfitters bought the leases of five neighboring stores on Guadalupe Street, including Mellow Mushroom. “Starting in March, we will begin a renovation where we will add two restaurants, a larger selling space and some other great features,” said Andy Schmidt, Urban Outfitters store merchandiser, in a
PIZZA page 2
FOOTBALL
POLICE Malcom Brown, a former Texas defensive tackle, speaks at a press conference Thursday night after the New England Patriots selected him as the 32nd overall pick of the NFL Draft.
Daulton Venglar Daily Texan Staff
Patriots draft former Longhorn By Aaron Torres @aarontl11
It took every ounce of patience Malcom Brown had — but by the end of the night, the former Texas defensive tackle had finally been drafted. “It was just a great feeling,” said Brown, who was eating barbecue when he got the call. “Your heart starts
bit.ly/dtvid
pounding real fast; you just got to take a deep breath.” With the last pick of the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft, the New England Patriots drafted the former Longhorn, making him the No. 32 pick overall. Brown, who had been predicted to be a top pick in the draft’s first round, said he started to feel a sense of disappointment as pick after pick
went by without his name being called. “[My emotions were] a little bit here and there,” Brown said. “I really thought I was going to be a real high draft pick.” The Patriots lost a significant number of defensive players during the offseason, including defensive tackle
DRAFT page 7
APD officers voluntarily order body cameras to wear on duty By Wynne Davis @wynneellyn
Over the next two to five years, the Austin Police Department will implement plans to equip its officers with body cameras — and in the meantime, 25 APD officers have purchased cameras on their own. Several officers said they decided to buy cameras on their own initiative to be more transparent in their work, and because many of them had dealt with false accusations of misconduct. After experiencing a few incidents where citizens threatened to make allegations of misconduct against him, APD officer Marcos Johnson decided to get his own body camera approximately a year ago. “This was during the time when they knew our patrol car [camera] wasn’t facing
Name: Untitled powers; Width: POWERS; 23;Width: Width: 60p0; 60p0; 60p0; Depth: Depth: Depth: 2 in; 22in; Color: in;Color: Color: Process Process Process color, color, color, powers; POWERS; Untitled Ad Number: 23; AdAd Number: Number: - -
Mariana Munoz | Daily Texan Staff
Some APD officers, such as APD senior police officer Marcos Johnson, have purchased their own body cameras to ensure more transparency in their work.
our direction, so, after having to deal with someone who was potentially going to make false allegations against me, … I was concerned that there’s always a potential for more of those,” Johnson said. Since purchasing his body camera, Johnson said he and
his fellow officers have faced more accusations, but in all cases been exonerated based on footage captured by the body camera. Officers initially tested out the cameras a year ago,
APD
Sign President Powers farewell and help support student media. Only $10 for students visit farewellpowers.com to find out more
page 2