The Daily Texan 2015-09-01

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LIFE&ARTS PAGE 8

COMICS PAGE 7

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Tuesday, September 1, 2015

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SYSTEM

SYSTEM

System, Mexico partner for STEM programs

By Matthew Adams @MatthewAdams60

After nearly a year of negotiations, the UT System and Mexico’s National Council of Science and Technology (CONACYT) reached an agreement to expand research programs at the UT-San Antonio campus.

System Chancellor William McRaven and CONACYT

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Director Enrique Cabrero signed the agreement Aug. 25 to expand science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) research as well as academic programs for faculty and students.

According to the UT System, some of the STEM programs to be developed under this agreement include applied math and modeling, medicine and health,

biochemistry and agricultural sciences. Randy Charbeneau, assistant vice chancellor for research for the UT System, said previous projects the two sides collaborated on include space and technology communications, along with migration and social issues in the border region.

UT System spokeswoman Jenny LaCoste-Caputo said there are no costs associ-

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ated with the agreement at this time.

Charbeneau said initial discussions occurred between both sides during a visit to CONACYT’s headquarters in Mexico City in Sept. 2014. The agreement is effective for a five-year period and can be extended for the same time period by

By Matthew Adams @MatthewAdams60

Enrique Cabrero

MEXICO page 2

CONACYT Director

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Joshua Guerra | Daily Texan Staff

Geophysics senior Zach Zehani smashes a car with a sledgehammer on Speedway on Monday afternoon. The car-smashing event was held by Absolute Texxas spirit group to ‘smash’ cancer and raise money for St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital.

CAMPUS

UT System celebrates merger of campuses Through merging UTPan American and UTBrownsville, the UT System officially opened the UT-Rio Grande Valley campus Monday.

UT System spokeswoman Jenny LaCoste-Caputo said UTRGV welcomed more than 4,200 incoming freshmen to the University.

“Chancellor [William] McRaven visited both the Edinburg and Brownsville campuses of UTRGV today,” LaCoste-Caputo said.

“The excitement and enthusiasm were palpable. As of this morning, there are well over 29,000 enrolled.”

Havidan Rodriguez, UTRGV provost and executive vice president for Academic Affairs, said he was excited to welcome the students and make them the University’s priority.

“We are here because of you,” Rodriguez said to the students. “You are number one for our institution, and we want to work with you to ensure your success. We are making history. You are making history as we form this one University.”

The Texas Legislature created the UTRGV campus in 2013, and construction began in Aug. 2014, according to the school’s website. Resources from the two original campuses were brought together to form what is now UTRGV. “Our purpose is to be a university of the entire Valley,” Guy Bailey, president of UTRGV, said in a press

MERGER page 2

CAMPUS

Texas Coffee Traders renews Landmark Docents hold UT contract for another year meet and greet on campus

By Nashwa Bawab

By Ashley Tsao

Three Texas Coffee Traders’ campus locations are back for another year after confusion about their ending contract threatened the business’ on-campus locations.

Texas Coffee Traders, which operates locations in the Gates Dell Complex, Jackson School of Geosciences, Moody College of Communication, Robert Lee Moore Hall and the area surrounding the Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium, decided to file a Request for Proposal to renew its contract with UT before it ended Aug. 31.

A Request for Proposal is a formal application used by agencies who want to sell goods or services on campus if their contract is expected to surpass $25,000. After a Request for Proposal was made, UT notified Texas

A small group of the Landmark Docents gathered Monday at an informal reception to discuss the benefits of increased attention toward UT landmarks.

UT is currently home to 38 pieces of public art, or landmarks, the oldest of which is a sculpture on loan from the Metropolitan Museum of Art that was created in 1948, according to Catherine Zinser, education coordinator for the Landmarks Public Art Program. The landmarks are routinely featured during informative tours hosted by the Landmarks Docents, a group comprised of volunteers from UT and the surrounding community.

Created in 2008, the organization’s main intention is to increase awareness of the landmarks on the UT campus, Zinser said. The art’s

@nashwabawab

@tsaoashley

Allison Webster | Daily Texan Staff

Sophia Parsons, a second-year ACC student and new hire at Pangea Cafe, a Texas Coffee Traders store, brews a hot cappuccino as students line up on a Monday morning.

Alejandro Norato | Daily Texan Staff

Catherine Zinser, right, education coordinator for the Landmark Docents, explains the application process for becoming a docent to junior Cali Nuñez.

Coffee Traders that their proposal was not successful and that they would no longer be doing business on campus, according to Beth Beall, Texas Coffee Traders’ owner and president. After a deal with the winning proposer fell through, Texas Coffee Traders was able to extend its contract with UT until May

31, 2016, Beall said.

“We submitted for a contract this year, … and I think that’s where the confusion came,” Beall said. “In that confusion, we got our contract extended, so at the end of this year, we’ll [need to] go for another Request for

NEWS

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ONLINE

UT ranks as 13th most desirable school in nation.

PAGE 3

Wal-mart decision to stop selling assault rifles reflects a recent trend toward American support for gun reform.

PAGE 4

Molly McCage is set to lead in her senior year.

PAGE 6 How did Texas go from Colt McCoy to Tyrone Swoopes?

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UT sophomore works on country album.

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The Daily Texan is accepting applications for all positions. Apply online at

PCL employee catalogs student doodles.

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dailytexanonline.com/ employment.

Professor compares problems in U.S., India cities.

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COFFEE page 2

primary purpose is to beautify the campus, according to Zinser.

“I hope that the influence of this art affects interdisciplinary majors, so that students learn how to utilize these works in the same way that they would use any other academic resource,” Zinser said, Advertising graduate

student Chien Yang said that as a potential docent, she hopes to bond with visitors to UT over the landmarks.

“It is a good way to meet new people around campus to talk about the common ground of public art,” Yang said. “I am interested in

LANDMARK page 2 REASON TO PARTY

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Tuesday, September 1, 2015

COFFEE

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Volume 116, Issue 15

CONTACT US Main Telephone (512) 471-4591 Editor-in-Chief Claire Smith (512) 232-2212 editor@dailytexanonline.com Managing Editor Jack Mitts (512) 232-2217 managingeditor@ dailytexanonline.com News Office (512) 232-2207 news@dailytexanonline.com

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Proposal, but we’re there for another year. So, after all that craziness, we’re back.”

Standards such as purchasing prices, reputation of the vendor, vendor’s past relationship with the school, total long-term cost and quality of goods and services are among the criteria UT considers when choosing companies for on-campus contracts. UT’s Purchasing Department uses a team of experts to evaluate businesses that wish to do business on campus, according to Margo Iwanski, executive assistant to the vice president and chief financial officer. Iwanski said UT decided to enter into a contract with the winning proposal before unspecified issues made them decide to stay with

joining for my personal interest, even though it is irrelevant to my major.”

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MERGER

continues from page 1 release. “We are just getting started. Our future is ahead of us, with new programs and expanded opportunities for students, faculty and staff. We are going to change significantly as an institution as we move forward.”

McRaven said he agreed that UTRGV will be a key

German senior Shannon McDonald said anyone can appreciate art on campus, even if they have no formal art experience.

“I’m not sure if people notice what a big impact the art has on the everyday lives of students,” McDonald said.

“Last winter, ‘Monochrome for Austin’ by Nancy Rubins was installed on the corner of 24th and Speedway. I watched people stare at this piece for the first time in total awe. I think that the landmarks at our University impact people more than they know.”

U

resource to the UT System.

“When one thinks of the potential of this institution to transform lives, the outcomes will be immeasurable and will have impact in ways that we cannot even begin to fathom,” McRaven said in a press release.

In addition to the opening of the main campus, UTRGV will open its medical school in 2016.

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Low

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Did you know those brownies are made of prisoners?

This issue of The Daily Texan is valued at $1.25 Permanent Staff

Editor-in-Chief . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Claire Smith Associate Editors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Zhelun Chen, Adam Hamze, Kat Sampson, Jordan Shenhar Managing Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jack Mitts Associate Managing Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Amy Zhang News Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Samantha Ketterer Associate News Editors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Anthony Green News Desk Editors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Rachel Lew, Josh Willis, Caleb Wong Senior Reporters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Matthew Adams, Nashwa Bawab, Zainab Calcuttawala, Lauren Florence Copy Desk Chief . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cameron Peterson Associate Copy Desk Chiefs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Myra Ali, Megan Hix, Kailey Thompson Design Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Virginia Scherer Senior Designers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Danny Goodwin, Kelly Smith, Iliana Storch Video Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bryce Seifert Senior Videographers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hannah Evans, Heather Finnegan, Lilian Smith Photo Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Daulton Venglar Associate Photo Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Stephanie Tacy Senior Photographers . . . . . . . . . . . . Charlotte Carpenter, Joshua Guerra, Graeme Hamilton, Thalia Juarez, Rachel Zein Forum Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Walker Fountain Senior Opinion Columnists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mary Dolan, Noah M. Horwitz Life&Arts Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Danielle Lopez Life&Arts Associate Editors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Cat Cardenas, Marisa Charpentier Senior Life&Arts Writers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Katie Walsh, Alex Pelham Sports Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Jori Epstein Associate Sports Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jacob Martella Senior Sports Writers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Akshay Mirchandani, Blanche Schaefer, Michael Shapiro, Aaron Torres Comics Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Albert Lee Associate Comics Editors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Amber Perry, Lindsay Rojas Senior Comics Artists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Connor Murphy, Isabella Palacios, Victoria Smith, Melanie Westfall Special Ventures Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 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Issue Staff

Reporters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Audrey Browning, Forrest Milburn, Ashley Tsao Life&Arts Writers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Molly Much, Clara Wang Columnists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Daniel Hung Photographers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Alejandro Norato, Allison Webster Comic Artists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chester Omenukor

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All members of the Landmark Docents meet once per month to tour each landmark on campus and learn about various interpretations of the art. While in training, docents focus on modern and contemporary art topics. After training, volunteers are able to give tours to various groups on campus. A tour open to the public is available once per month.

The docents volunteer with Landmarks because they want to share their interest in art with other people on campus, according to Zinser.

MEXICO

TOMORROW’S WEATHER

High

The Daily Texan Comics

coffee they serve.

“I don’t really like their coffee, so I wouldn’t mind if we got another company with better flavors or better coffee,” Luevano said.

“I’ve drank it three times and thought it was maybe a bad brew, but it was terrible every time. I would actually like another company to come in and replace them.”

For now, Texas Coffee Traders will still be doing business on campus until their contract expires again next year, said Joao Pereira, general manager at UT’s Texas Coffee Traders locations.

“We’re staying for another year, and I’ve been working with the UT community for a couple of years, and we are very happy that’s the case,” Pereira said. “Texas Coffee Traders is really committed to serving the UT community.”

LANDMARK continues from page 1

Life & Arts Office (512) 232-2209 dtlifeandarts@gmail.com Retail Advertising (512) 471—8590 advertise@texasstudentmedia.com

Texas Coffee Traders for another year.

“There were three proposals received by UT Austin, and the evaluation team concluded that the contract should be awarded to a different supplier,” Iwanski said in an email. “Subsequently, it was determined that there were some issues, and two departments decided not to enter into a contract with the winning proposer.”

UT plans to issue new requirements for the Request for Proposal process, which normally takes four to six months to complete, to better outline requirements for future departments who decide not to enter into new contracts.

Journalism sophomore Belicia Luevano said she hopes UT does not renew their contract with Texas Coffee Traders next year because of the poor quality of

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written agreement.

UTSA President Ricardo Romo said this international agreement is an important collaboration, and he is glad to see UT and Mexico working together.

“I applaud the leadership of the two organizations represented by Dr. Cabrero and Chancellor McRaven,” Romo said. “This vision is about nurturing that relationship through economic integration, [which will] foster innovation with technologies and building infrastructure.”

Cabrero said CONACYT only collaborates with one other university system, the University of California System. Cabrero said the advances in education the project will facilitate make its expansion crucial. “[The] Mexican government has given priority to science and technology as never before,” Cabrero said. “As empirical evidence shows, there is a close relationship between research and development expenditure. [The] council argument behind this correlation is that science and technology contribute to generate better economic process and better social conditions.”

McRaven said with signing this memorandum, he wanted to communicate that the state of Texas and the University of Texas are interested in fostering a positive relationship with Mexico.

“Since becoming the chancellor at the UT System, my interest and my appreciation has grown with the Mexican scholars,” McRaven said. “I see elite engineers from Mexico. I see elite research institutions. I see tremendous insights coming out of our relationship from Mexico.”

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NEWS

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Tuesday, September 1, 2015

RESEARCH

Lecturer relates problems in US, Indian cities

By Forrest Milburn @forrestmilburn

Rahul Mehrotra, architect and Harvard professor, kicked off the School of Architecture’s Fall 2015 Lectures and Exhibitions Series by discussing how the problems he observed in Indian cities can relate to and help solve issues affecting American cities.

“Essentially, we have to find a way of engaging in the broader context with how we practice architecture,” Mehrotra said Monday at a lecture in Homer Rainey Hall. “We can’t become site-specific, because it diminishes our role in society. So, the more we can broaden our engagement with the context we work in, then we will find hannon ways to solve some of these ne can problems and engaging ampus, other people.” formal

ple no-UNIVERSITY the art ives of said. chrome Rubins rner of

By Audrey Browning atched @auddiemac21 ece for awe. I More than 2,000 stuarks atdents ranked UT the 13th peoplemost desirable school in

Moving from problems of a post-colonial India to a modern one rife with sanitary issues and health concerns, Mehrotra discussed Mumbai’s societal “thresholds,” including universal access to toilets and running water.

“I think what he was saying about ‘softening thresholds’ between the rich and the poor is an important question on how we value diversity,” said Donesh Ferdowsi, a second-year graduate student in the School of Architecture. “We love the idea, we love the word, but are we actually willing to live in each other’s lives?”

Mehrotra discussed how the issues facing Mumbai differ compared to cities such as Austin because of the different densities of the two — with Austin having a low-density population and Mumbai’s

being higher.

“I think the point I was making was we shouldn’t start with the premise that low density is bad,” Mehrotra said. “Because I think that the low density in Austin offers a way in which the paradigm can be shifted productively. So, low density allows a condition where you can grow your own food, you can install solar panels, which is something you can’t do in a high-density situation.”

While Mehrotra was the opening act in this semester’s series, he will be followed by another ten lectures and exhibitions, including one with New York architect Matthias Hollwich on Sept. 16.

“I think that [Mehrotra] embodies what we, as a school, hope to instill in our students, and his work touches many different typologies, many

Joshua Guerra | Daily Texan Staff

Harvard professor Rahul Mehrotra spoke Monday evening at Homer Rainey Hall about his observations working in Mumbai.

different issues,” Juan Miro, associate dean for undergraduate programs in the School of Architec-

ture, said. “He’s a global citizen, working with many different clients, and he does it with the belief

that design can make a difference, and I think that is very inspirational to see for our students.”

UT ranks 13th among most desirable colleges in US

the country, according to a recent survey conducted by LTG Exams. tem.

UT is the fourth most of thedesirable state school to attitutiontend, according to the surhe out-vey. Completed by a group surableof aspiring college students n wayswho used a test preparaegin totion website, Prep4SAT, d in athe survey assigned rankings to the students’ top peningchoice schools.

UTRGV English sophomore Ashschoolley Magenheimer said UT ranks highly because the vast population of the state gives the school expansive

resources and greater opportunity than smaller states.

“Texas has the opportunity to create great things to be reckoned with,” Magenheimer said. “I’m not surprised it ranked so highly.”

Journalism freshman Alyssa Quiles said she chose UT over other state schools because of the sense of community and extracurriculars the campus offers to students.

“UT has always been my number one choice,” Quiles said. “It felt right to be here, like I had come home.”

The Dean of Students survey said 85 percent of prospective students said the location of UT was very important to them.

“The location was kind

of important to me, even though I’m studying a lot,” Magenheimer said. “Right off campus you can get the Austin feel.”

Nutrition sophomore Emily Rogers said she transferred to UT from a community college because UT offers research opportunities that will help her to open her own consulting firm in the future.

“My career goal in life is to open my own consulting firm and consult those diagnosed as pre-diabetic,” Rogers said. “UT offers a coordinated program which would allow me to complete my [registered dietician certification] and internship hours within my Bachelor’s degree in dietetics.”

Journalism freshman Cassandra Chrostowski said she wished UT offered a series of lectures from alumni and local professionals who can share real-life experience at both UT and in the Austin workforce.

The survey comes on the heels of other studies that show UT has become more prominent in Texas, and nationwide. According to a study done by the Dean of Students in 2011, 95 percent of first-year students said the reputation of UT was very important to them. The Princeton Review’s “Colleges that Pay You Back” list ranks UT No. 19 in the country because it offers a good return on investment after graduation.

Top 15 Most Desirable Schools 1. Harvard University 2. Stanford University 3. Massachusetts Institute of Technology 4. Yale University 5. Princeton University 6. University of California-Berkeley 7. University of California-Los Angeles 8. New York University 9. California Institute of Technology 10. Columbia University 11. Cornell University 12. University of Pennsylvania 13. University of Texas at Austin 14. Brown University 15. Duke University Source: LTG Exams

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4 OPINION

CLAIRE SMITH, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF | @TexanEditorial Tuesday, September 1, 2015

4

COLUMN

Wal-Mart gun decision reflects new realities

By Mary Dolan

Daily Texan Senior Columnist @mimimdolan

The gun control debate has raged for years, and it has been recently pushed further into the spotlight as both liberals and conservatives have focused on the issue. In the past few days, Google searches for “gun control” have skyrocketed due to the recent shooting in Virginia. However, supporters of gun control have just gained an important victory: Wal-Mart announced Aug. 26 that it will stop selling assault rifles.

Wal-Mart insists that the decision was based on sales, not political factors: Spokesman Kory Lundberg said there simply wasn’t “a whole lot of demand” for assault rifles. As a result, the rifles will be replaced with hunting firearms, which have continued to sell well.

This decision could have an impact on the availability of assault rifles. Wal-Mart is the nation’s largest retailer, and many consumers have no doubt relied on its services to purchase guns and ammunition. With Wal-Mart no longer an option, many consumers may have trouble finding the weapons they want cheaply and quickly. This might reduce the number of assault rifles around the nation, as consumers are turned off by smaller retailers’ high prices and inaccessibility.

The future availability of assault rifles might not matter much to many people. After all, sales of assault rifles have declined enough for Wal-

Wal-Mart’s decision has shown that more and more Americans are becoming open to addressing these questions and putting stricter regulations on the buying and selling of guns.

Mart to discontinue selling them. Some might be frustrated with the new policy, but the declining sales of assault rifles seem to reflect many Americans’ views on gun control. The percentage of Americans who support gun control has fluctuated over the years, but recent polls show that the majority of Americans still favor an assault weapons ban (63 percent) and background checks for those who wish to buy guns (80 percent). These polls suggest that more Americans are beginning to favor some form of gun control.

These changing attitudes may have something to do with this summer’s number of high-profile shootings. Wal-Mart’s announcement arrived on the same day as the aforementioned on-air shooting of two Virginia journalists. Though it appears that the timing of the announcement was a coincidence, it certainly reflects many Americans’ frustrations with lax gun control laws and the crimes that happen as a result. As high-profile shootings have become more prevalent, Americans have devel-

Illustration by Albert Lee | Daily Texan Staff

oped a stronger distaste for firearms, and this has translated into lower sales.

Of course, potential gun control laws lead to complex questions. If consumers are required to have a background check before purchasing a gun, what kind of record would prohibit someone from doing so? Should people with mental illnesses be barred from purchasing guns? What counts as “mental illness?”

These are the kinds of hard-to-define questions that gun control opponents latch onto, making it difficult for any sort of lasting

measures to be put into place. However, WalMart’s decision has shown that more and more Americans are becoming open to addressing these questions and putting stricter regulations on the buying and selling of guns. Only time will tell if these restrictions ever come to pass, but Wal-Mart’s announcement has made it clear that Americans across the nation are ready to talk about potential gun control policies for the future.

Dolan is a journalism sophomore from Abilene.

COLUMN

Commercialization of self care threatens working women

By Kat Sampson

Daily Texan Associate Editor @katclarksamp

Head to any Austin yoga studio for a 6 a.m. class, and the room will be filled with young professionals, mostly women, squeezing in their sweat sessions before heading to work so they can check off the “self-care” box in their color-coded iPhone planners.

The World Health Organization defined self care in 1983 as “what people do for themselves to establish and maintain health, and to prevent and deal with illness. It is a broad concept encompassing hygiene, nutrition, lifestyle, environmental factors, socio-economic factors and self-medication.”

There has only been a two percent increase in the number of women in the workplace from 1990 to 2012, but a 15 percent increase in selfhelp book sales from 2013 to 2014, according to a Nielson BookScan report.

Obviously, eating healthy and exercising regularly is crucial to longevity, but this trend toward self care suggests women can only love their jobs if they have some sort of release that, more often than not, is a weight-loss activity. There are entire websites and brands banking on women feeling guilty about their work-centric lifestyles.

Instead of advancing females in the workplace

and society, these magazines and websites boil down a woman’s worth to the size of her body.

Comedic actress Mindy Kaling’s latest book, “Why Not Me?” addresses the growing distrust of working women and how we accept women partaking in extracurricular activities.

“We do a thing in America, which is to label people ‘workaholics’ and tell them that work is ruining their lives,” Kaling wrote. “It’s such a widespread opinion that it seems like the premise to every indie movie is ‘Workaholic mom comes home to find that her entire family hates her. It’s not until she cuts back on work, smokes a little pot, and takes up ballroom dancing classes with her neglected husband that she realizes what is truly important in life. Not work.’”

The prolific emergence of self care softens women in a way that makes them approachable, creating a double standard. Women are already centuries behind men in the workforce, and having to concern themselves with physical demands is just another hurdle women face. The heavy-drinking, steakhouse-eating, Mad Men lifestyle of the ’50s and ’60s suggests men don’t have the same pressure to live “balanced” lives.

The pressure to succeed does not only affect working women. Students feel the same work-related stress, too. Almost 90 percent of students reported feeling overwhelmed by

Illustration by Isabella Palacios | Daily Texan Staff

all they had to do, according to the American College Health Association’s University of Texas Executive Summary for Fall 2013.

Instead of indirectly pressuring women to partake in self-care activities, we should place an emphasis on doing what makes us feel ful-

filled. If someone lives for his or her 6 a.m. yoga class, by all means hit the mat, but we shouldn’t make others feel guilty for sleeping in and staying late to work for an extra hour.

Sampson is a journalism junior from Chevy Chase, Maryland.

COLUMN

COLUMN

Texas elected officials, voters inept Anti-GMO movement dangerous

By Noah M. Horwitz

Daily Texan Senior Columnist @nmhorwitz

This past week has been taxing for those following the news in Texas. Attorney General Ken Paxton, long plagued by legal troubles, was in court this past Thursday. Currently facing a plethora of charges ranging from securities fraud to contempt of court, Paxton continued playing the fool. His lead attorney withdrew from his case and Paxton — ostensibly an attorney — remained unfamiliar with the simpler nuances of the practice of law, including standing when addressing the judge.

“I am innocent of these charges,” Paxton told The Dallas Morning News. “It is a travesty that some would attempt to hijack our system of justice to achieve political ends they could not accomplish at the ballot box.”

Despite his grandstanding and other assorted pontifications, Paxton does not maintain the confidence or support of Texans, including those in his party. Nearly two in three Republicans in the state believe that Paxton should resign, according to a poll first reported by the Longview News-Journal in the wake of his charge.

But Paxton is not the only statewide official who has made waves in the recent past. Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller caught flak recently for intimating that the United States should nuke the “Muslim world.”

“Japan has been at peace with the U.S. since August 9, 1945,” an online meme that Miller recently shared on Facebook read, showing an

image of a nuclear mushroom cloud. “It’s time we made peace with the Muslim world.”

Miller, unsurprisingly, was roundly criticized by pundits and journalists for his unconscionable remarks. But, also unsurprisingly, he figuratively spat in the face of his detractors by castigating a perceived overemphasis on political correctness.

In the days and weeks following these men’s respective bouts of foolishness, some have criticized the officeholders for ignorant views plausibly out of line with a majority of Texans. But that’s not important when a majority of the electorate supported these men and voted as such. Paxton, Miller and many other insufficient officeholders are the just desserts Texas deserves.

In order to receive the Republican nomination, Paxton had to defeat then-state Rep. Dan Branch (R-Dallas) last year. Similarly, Miller defeated former state Rep. Tommy Merritt (R-Longview), among others. Branch and Merritt are pragmatic, business-focused Republicans. But Paxton and Miller won their respective primaries due to spouting the right mix of controversial comments and right-wing talking points.

Given that the vast majority of the state is far too lazy to occupy a voting booth, the few who participate in Republican primaries dominate the electoral process. Until that changes, people like Paxton and Miller will continue serving in office. Texans are currently too inept to change this sad reality. But it is up to them — and them alone — to do so.

Horwitz is a government senior from Houston.

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 Daniel Hung

Daily Texan Columnist

Recently there has been a push to label food as GMO or non-GMO. Genetically modified organisms have been altered by genetic engineering, often to make them resistant to diseases and increase crop yield.

Unfortunately, this push is based on faulty science, similar to the small but vocal opposition to vaccines. Since GMO is not widely understood by the public, this anti-GMO push has stigmatized an important scientific advancement that has made crops safer for consumption and increased crop yield.

GMOs were first developed in 1971, and now 70 percent of packaged food products in North America contain them. This includes 93 percent of canola, 88 percent of corn and 94 percent of soy. Most of our farmed animals are fed GMO feeds.

The scientific community recognized that doubling or tripling of world food, feed and fiber production could not be achieved without biotechnology. However, opponents cite debunked claims that GMO foods are harmful to human health, based on articles that are not peer-reviewed nor published in reputable journals. Yet thousands of independent studies have found that GMOs are safe.

The irony is that GMOs are both safer to eat than traditional crops and better for the environment because GMOs require less pesticides and are resistant to diseases. Unlike GMOs, pesticides have been found to pose a wide range of health hazards. With-

SUBMIT A FIRING LINE | Email your Firing Lines to editor@dailytexanonline.com. Letters must be more than 100 and fewer than 300 words. The Texan reserves the right to edit all submissions for brevity, clarity and liability.

out GMOs, farmers must either use pesticides or risk crop failure.

Illustrating the absurdity of the non-GMO push, Evolution Salt Co. recently labeled one of its products non-GMO to better compete in the market. Any middle schooler can tell you that salt has no genes, thus cannot be genetically modified. Similarly, Austin-based Whole Foods Market aims to label all of its food products as GMO or non-GMO by 2018. Yet, even Whole Foods does not provide evidence that GMOs are harmful for consumers.

Despite this recent unscientific push to label food as GMO or non-GMO, this University does not use such labels. “At this point in time, there is no plan to label food as GMO, unless required by the government,” according to UT Division of Housing and Food Service dietitian Lindsay Wilson. This University, as well as its students, need to take a stand against this unscientific push that, if successful, will be detrimental to human health and food security. First it’ll be labels, then opponents will seek to ban production of GMO crops, which would lead to severe food shortages around the world.

Opponents may compare GMO to “Brave New World,” but the reality of a non-GMO world is more like “Interstellar,” where crops succumbing to diseases nearly starved the human race. Labeling food may seem insignificant at first, but if it stigmatizes genetic modification of crops and discourages people from buying GMO food, the same fate may befall other scientific advancements.

Hung is a second-year law student from Brownsville.

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CLASS 5

SPORTS

5

Tuesday, September 1, 2015

MCCAGE

[McCage has] been to three Final Fours and one national championship, so she has a lot of experience.

continues from page 6

Amy Zhang | Daily Texan file photo

Junior Tyrone Swoopes is the latest quarterback who has struggled on the Forty Acres, throwing 13 touchdown passes and 11 interceptions last year.

QUARTERBACK continues from page 6

touchdowns and added 145 rushing yards and two touchdowns against the Sooners and Cyclones.

But Swoopes struggled against Baylor, Kansas State, TCU and Arkansas. Against the Horned Frogs and Razorbacks, he threw five combined interceptions. He

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rushed for -32 yards against Arkansas in the Texas Bowl.

Strong knows how Swoopes has handled the brightest lights. But after Ash’s concussions, Swoopes was thrown into the fire last season. An offseason of preparation could lead him in the right direction.

It’s unknown how Heard will handle the pressures of being a quarterback

at Texas. His high school accolades bode well for him. Heard’s athleticism could help supplant the incumbent Swoopes.

After a 6–7 season in his first year, Strong has to fix the mess he’s inherited, or he’ll be run out of town in no time.

Pick the right quarterback, coach. Your job depends on it.

year it’s very different, but we still expect to make a Final Four and compete for a championship.”

During the championship run in 2012, McCage was a freshman for the Longhorns, making 26 starts in 30 matches. Coming into Texas, she was named the Big 12 Preseason Freshman of the Year after being ranked No. 1 nationally

by Prep Volleyball out of high school. The 2012 season ended in storybook fashion for McCage, as she set a gamehigh with eight blocks in the national championship match, a 3–0 Texas victory over the Oregon Ducks.

“My freshman year, winning was amazing,” McCage said. “But I came in as a freshman. I didn’t know what to expect, but from there on out, competing for a championship was something that was expected.”

Early in her senior season, McCage now fills a different role for Texas

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than she did coming into the program in 2012. Having had the opportunity to learn the ropes of collegiate volleyball from Texas All–Americans such as opposite hitters Haley Eckerman and Bailey Webster, it’s now time for McCage to take on the role of knowledgeable veteran and help lead the Longhorns team.

“Molly is somebody that leads by example,” head coach Jerritt Elliott said. “She’s been to three Final Fours and one national championship, so she has a lot of experience. That 2012 group came in with a big class, and she’s been helping out this class by sharing what they went through and what they remember from their freshman year.”

While some may shy away from the role of a mentor to younger players, McCage embraces it,

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relishing the opportunity to help shape the players who are primed to be the future of Texas volleyball.

“I know a lot of [the younger players] look up to us,” McCage said. “I like taking care of them, and I think they’re great people. Leading them is fun — it’s not a hassle to lead this team.”

With one more year left to make her imprint on the history of Texas, McCage has an opportunity to cap off an already-illustrious career with one more national title. There’s a long way to go until the NCAA regionals in December, but McCage is eager to take one more shot at winning her second national title.

“I’ve got one last year, and I want to leave with another championship,” McCage said. “I don’t want to leave here with just one.”

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JORI EPSTEIN, SPORTS EDITOR | @texansports Tuesday, September 1, 2015

VOLLEYBALL

McCage set to lead Texas at the net

By Michael Shapiro

SIDELINE MLB MARINERS

@mshap2

As senior middle blocker Molly McCage enters her final year with the Longhorns, her accolades and awards speak for themselves.

McCage has been named to the 2015 All-Big 12 Preseason Team and the 2014 AVCA All-America Third Team, as well as earning 2013 All-Big 12 First Team honors. She was a 2014 AVCA All-Region honoree and was named the 2012 Big 12 Preseason Freshman of the Year. And when you put this on top of McCage’s three consecutive Final Four appearances and one national championship, it’s clear McCage is one of the most decorated players in Longhorn history.

“These teams I’ve been a part of have all been so talented over my time here,” McCage said. “Every single

MCCAGE page 5

ASTROS

YANKEES

RED SOX

RAYS

ORIOLES

TOP TWEET Quandre Diggs @qdiggs6 Daulton Venglar | Daily Texan Staff

With Haley Eckerman and Khat Bell gone, senior middle blocker Molly McCage showed she could fill the void this weekend, posting 22 kills and 14 total blocks in the first three games of the season.

Blue Bell is back!!! #YouWontUnderstandUnlessYouFromTheSouth

FOOTBALL | COLUMN

Fixing the quarterback mess won’t be easy

By Nick Castillo

Daily Texan Columnist @Nick_Castillo74

Charlie Strong didn’t create the Longhorns’ quarterback mess — it was built over six years, after misfortune on the field and in recruiting. But it’s his job to fix it, or his time at Texas will be short-lived.

The Longhorns’ head coach named Tyrone Swoopes his starting quarterback for the season opener against Notre Dame. But it’s no secret Texas will play both its

quarterbacks against the Fighting Irish — Strong said it himself. Now, the outcome of Strong’s decision may define his era at Texas.

In 12 starts in 2014, the Longhorns saw what they have in junior Tyrone Swoopes — a quarterback with a strong arm, who fizzled when the lights were the brightest. Redshirt freshman Jerrod Heard, the quarterback who dazzled his way to two consecutive 5A state championships at Denton Guyer High School, is the unknown.

Texas has been searching for a quarterback for six years, since Colt McCoy went down with a shoulder injury against Alabama in the 2010 BCS National Championship Game. Garrett Gilbert followed the Longhorn legend, only to be run off the field, boos raining down from the stands of Darrell K RoyalTexas Memorial Stadium.

Gilbert, a spread passer, was partially the victim of former Texas coach Mack Brown’s attempt to imitate Alabama’s power running game after it gashed the

Longhorns for 205 yards in the national championship game. In response, Gilbert transferred to SMU. Next, Case McCoy and David Ash fought to stabilize the position. McCoy, who lacked the physical attributes of a Division I passer, made up for it with his moxie. He pulled through in big moments, helping the Longhorns defeat Texas A&M in the final game of the rivalry and taking down Oklahoma in 2013. Ash hoped to lead the Longhorns during his first season at Texas, but

he ultimately retired from the game after suffering a concussion in the first game of 2014.

Now, Swoopes and Heard have their opportunity to leave their mark on the Longhorns. Swoopes showed promise last season. And for Strong’s sake, he hopes the junior quarterback from Whitewright, Texas, can replicate his performances against Oklahoma and Iowa State.

Swoopes threw for a combined 655 yards and three

QUARTERBACK page 5

CROSS COUNTRY

SWIMMING & DIVING

Cross country aims for another NCAA berth

By Blanche Schaefer @schaefer_bb

Daulton Venglar | Daily Texan file photo

Junior Jack Conger returns after helping the Longhorns to their 11th national championship last year, including being part of the first 1-2-3-4 finish for a school in NCAA history.

Longhorns ready to maintain last year’s championship run

By Blanche Schaefer @schaefer_bb

As the defending Big 12 champions, men’s and women’s swimming and diving have high expectations for the 2015–16 season.

The defending national champion men’s team begins the season with the Orange-White intersquad meet in Austin on Sept.

25. Texas returns a slew of talent, including five-time All-American juniors Will Licon and Jack Conger, who both finished in the top four at the USA Swimming National Championships this summer. Junior Mark Anderson, Big 12 Men’s Diver of the Year, returns to the platform after earning All-American honors in platform diving at the NCAA championships.

Men’s head coach Eddie Reese returns for his

38th season, along with a fairly young roster of talented athletes who gained valuable experience last season as members of the championship squad. Reese has guided the Longhorns to 11 NCAA titles and 36 consecutive conference titles in his time with the team.

“I’ve never had a goal to be an Olympic coach, never had a goal to win an NCAA title,” Reese said after the 2015 NCAA championship.

“I just want a bunch of people who will trust me, and we’ll see how fast we can get them to go.”

The Longhorn women open their season hosting top 10 teams Florida and Indiana Oct. 16–17 in Austin. The women swept the Big 12 championships and finished in the top 10 at the NCAA championships for the third straight year,

all with a team of mostly underclassmen. Texas is primed to improve this year, with many of its key athletes returning. Juniors Madisyn Cox, a two-time Big 12 champion swimmer, and Murphy Bromberg, a U.S. national champion diver, are coming off a successful summer of national competition and should continue to play an important role for Texas under women’s head coach Carol Capitani.

Despite the stacked rosters, the season will be far from easy for the Longhorns. Texas faces one of the toughest schedules in the NCAA, according to SwimSwam. After Florida and Indiana, the women host Stanford at home Oct. 30 and then travel with the men to College Station to face rival Texas A&M on Nov. 6.

The 2015–2016 season hasn’t even begun, and Texas already has much to boast.

As the conference champions of both indoor and outdoor track and field, the Longhorns open cross country season with eyes set on capturing the triple crown.

Men’s cross country looks to extend its streak of seven straight NCAA championship qualifications this season behind senior Brady Turnbull and key sophomores Connor Hendrickson and Jacob Pickle. Hendrickson returns after winning gold in the 10,000-meter race at the Pan Am Junior Championships this summer. Pickle ran in five out of six meets and finished 13th at the NCAA South Central Regional Championships to earn all-region honors his freshman year.

Although the team lost several decorated seniors and is mostly comprised of freshmen and sophomores, inexperience should not be a problem for Texas this season. The Longhorns bring in a wealth of talented freshmen and several of the top high school cross country and distance runners in the state, such as freshmen Alex Rogers and Pedro Nasta.

“The first team goal is set on Big 12s and to do really well there,” Pickle said Aug. 21. “We’ve all talked about it and know what we want to achieve there. … I’d much rather have a team at the Big 12 championship than anything else.”

Led by juniors Sandie Raines and Katie Ruhala,

Jacob Pickle Sophomore

women’s cross country is ranked No. 25 in FloTrack’s preseason countdown and will try to qualify for the NCAA championship for the first time since 2011. Raines, who transferred from Arkansas, is coming off a successful first season with the Longhorns in cross country and track and field distance events. She was crowned the outdoor 5,000-meter Big 12 Champion and earned AllAmerica honors for her performances in the indoor and outdoor 5,000-meters.

Ruhala earned all-region honors last season in cross country and turned in several impressive placings in outdoor track and field distance events.

Head coach Brad Herbster and the Longhorns begin the season by hosting the Texas Invitational on Sept. 4 at the Balcones-Spicewood Cross Country Course in Austin.

“Having home meets is great because you don’t have to travel, and you understand the course,” Herbster said Aug. 21 when the team previewed the course. “It’s a pretty hilly course, but it’ll be a fun course.”

Texas will then travel to College Station for the Texas A&M Invitational on Sept. 26 and back home to host the Longhorn Invitational on Oct. 2.

TODAY IN HISTORY

1990

The Toronto Argonauts and B.C. Lions score a total of 111 points, the highest combined score in Canadian Football League history. Toronto won 68-43.

SPORTS BRIEFLY Volleyball remains third in latest rankings

After needing just nine sets to come away with three wins, the Longhorns remain in third place in the latest AVCA rankings, while picking up a firstplace vote.

Defending national champion Penn State remained in the top spot with 54 first-place votes, followed by Stanford.

Meanwhile, Texas’ next two opponents, Florida and Nebraska, came out tied for fourth place, although the Huskers picked up a first place vote after beating Tulsa, Grand Canyon and Pittsburgh.

USC was the biggest mover this week, jumping from 22nd to eighth. Wisconsin, Florida State and North Carolina dropped from the top ten after suffering a loss each.

Morgan Johnson picks up conference award

Three matches into her Texas volleyball career, freshman middle blocker Morgan Johnson has already started to pick up awards.

Johnson was named the Big 12 Rookie of the Week, the conference announced Monday after Johnson helped the Lognhorns to a 3–0 start over the weekend.

Johnson led the team with a .407 hitting percentage and posted 15 kills and 11 blocks in her first games in a Texas uniform. Her performance put her ninth in the conference in hitting percentage and the top freshman in that category.

Johnson is the 17th Longhorn to win the award since 2008.

—Jacob Martella

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DANIELLE LOPEZ, LIFE&ARTS EDITOR | @thedailytexan Tuesday, September 1, 2015

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CAMPUS

PCL employee photographs whiteboard doodles Editor’s note: In 300 words or fewer, this series spotlights people in our community whose stories typically go untold.

By Katie Walsh @katiehwalsh_atx

A hand-drawn image of a girl sleeping at a desk, drool dripping down her chin, hides in the corner of a PCL whiteboard. Rather than erasing it during his morning rounds straightening up the PCL, library project specialist Frank Meaker whips out his flip phone and snaps a photo.

For the past 10 years, Meaker has captured thousands of photos of PCL whiteboard doodles — from generic uplifting messages to reoccurring mermaid characters. At the end of each semester, he sends his collection to the library’s communications officer, Travis Willmann, who uploads them to the library’s Flickr page. “[The doodles are] a snapshot of what these kids are living every day,” Meaker said. “They’re almost like a historical archive of what goes on in college at UT.” The informal project began as a joke between friends. Meager said he would send photos

Joshua Guerra | Daily Texan Staff

Library project specialist Frank Meaker captures photos of PCL white board doodles drawn by students. Meaker sends the photos to the library’s communications officer Travis Willmann, who uploads them on the library’s Flickr page.

of funny doodles to Willmann, and the two would share a laugh. When Willmann first posted one to the Flickr page, he received an overwhelmingly positive response and asked Meaker to keep sending them

his way.

During periods when the library is less populated, Meaker may find only a single doodle per day. Other times, during finals for instance, he takes between

MUSIC

Graeme Hamilton Daily Texan Staff

UT sophomore Tyler Dial set to release country EP this fall @foodieinheels

On a typical Thursday night, UT’s rising country singer Tyler Dial is either hanging out with friends having a “Damn Good Time” or on a plane headed to perform the hit single.

Tyler Dial, an economics sophomore, has been getting major airplay for his single “Damn Good Time” on satellite radio stations such as The Highway and plans to release his first EP this fall. He will be opening for Kelsea Ballerini on Oct. 4 at the Texas State Fair and is currently rewording “Damn Good Time” as a new sports anthem for UT. “It’s really cool, because a lot of times, my friends from Phoenix will text me and will be like, ‘I just heard your song on the radio’ — people who I haven’t heard from in years,” Tyler Dial said. “That’s easily the coolest feeling.”

Born and raised in Arizona, Tyler Dial started getting into music in the fourth grade. Growing up, his father and manager, Patrick Dial, was a concert promoter who passed his love of country music on to his son. Tyler Dial grew up listening to country artists such as Garth Brooks and the Dixie Chicks in the car.

“As long as I can remember, he’s had a guitar in his hands,” Patrick

“I’m a big doodler myself,” Meaker said. “I seldom walk past a whiteboard without putting my own mark on it.”

For Meaker, almost anything is worthy of a photograph — even a

stick figure.

“Some of the most simple, basic ones are the most entertaining,” Meaker said.

“It’s not about the artwork, it’s about the joke behind it.”

MUSIC Tyler Dial, rising country singer and economics sophomore, has been drawing radio airtime with his single “Damn Good Time.”

By Clara Wang

five and 10 shots a day. Meaker said his personal favorites are the ones from late-night study sessions where students sandwich funny characters and stupid sayings between equations and diagrams.

Dial said.

But it wasn’t until the seventh grade, when he wanted to impress a girl at the talent show, that Tyler Dial started to take guitar seriously. Watching artists such as Keith Urban perform pushed him to start his career in music.

“When I saw Keith play and how he handled a crowd and how he silenced a room and held people in the palm of his hand, I realized that that’s what spoke to me,” Tyler Dial said.

He wrote his first radio single “Damn Good Time” during his senior year of high school with a friend.

Through relentless calls and his father’s connections, they got in touch with producers Bob Hoag, who produced “Damn Good Time,” and Chuck Ainlay in Nashville. Ainlay has produced artists such as Miranda Lambert, Taylor Swift and George Strait and recently won a Grammy for Miranda Lambert’s “Automatic.”

“The coolest part about [Hoag] is that he doesn’t listen to country music, and he’s never produced country music before, so he gave us a really cool edge to some of the songs,” Tyler Dial said.

His upcoming EP features Garth Brooks’s fiddle player, steel player and mandolin player, as well as

Alice Cooper’s bass player.

Tyler Dial said he draws from a variety of influences in his new project.

Architecture junior Taylor Moore, who has been friends with Tyler Dial since the eighth grade, said his charisma and outgoing personality come through in his music.

“You can tell how much he loves it, and the energy just reflects in his performance when he’s up [on stage],” Moore said.

Besides his time on the radio and recording with award-winning producers, Tyler Dial said he leads a relatively normal college life. A competitive soccer player in high school, he turned down several soccer scholarships from top schools before coming to UT. Tyler Dial said he and his family regard academics as a priority but have been able to make it work with his music career. He is currently a member of the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity and is part of UT’s Student Government.

“For me, [my music] is not about partying,” Tyler Dial said. “It’s more about getting with your friends on a Friday afternoon, just making the most of your week and trying to turn that week around with the little time that you have. I want to write music about what I do and who I am.”

Local folk rock band found inspiration in Appalachians

By Molly Much @thedailytexan

Nestled in a cabin in the Appalachian Mountains, Benton Allen and Taylor Tazewell began writing song after song for their newly formed, Austinbased band Patch.

“The cabin we were living in was on Patch Drive,” Allen said. “And we found a stray cat out there that we named Patch. For months, we were out there writing songs together, and we were like, ‘What are we going to call the band?’ And, once again, we settled on Patch.”

A self-proclaimed “dark folkrock project,” the band combines folk instrumentations with haunting vocals and features instruments such as the accordion. After relocating to Austin in 2012 to include their friend, UT alumnus Wesley MafflyKipp, the band recorded four EPs, releasing their latest, Snowflake, this March.

“We knew we wanted [Maffly-Kipp] to be a part of [Patch], and we knew that Austin was a good city to be in as far as

making music goes, so it just seemed like the right place,” Tazewell said.

While much of the group’s current set includes the songs Allen and Tazewell wrote while in Virginia, Maffly-Kipp said he hasn’t shied away from collaborating.

The three previously formed a band in middle school, and, after reuniting three years ago, Allen said they have a musical connection that makes the creative process more comfortable.

“We kind of learned all of our instruments — bass and drums and guitar, at least — together, so that probably shaped the way we write together now,” Allen said.

With the release of its latest EP, the band added drummer Ben Humphreys to the mix and plans to record its first full-length album in September. The band hopes to keep their ideas original on the album, which will include new material alongside some of their classics.

Tazewell said playing the same songs again and again for years at a time can become stale.

“This time around, we hope to craft a more complete album as opposed to a collection of songs,” Tazewell said. “Something with a little more cohesion behind it. For us, [writing is] a very organic process in that nothing’s ever really 100 percent done.”

As for their current mode of songwriting, Maffly-Kipp said they tend to deal with a fairly mixed bag of inspirations.

“Generally someone will have an idea, bring it to practice, and we’ll just go,” Maffly-Kipp said. “Sometimes they’ll be more fully formed, sometimes it’s just a little melody or chorus part or something, and we all just work from there.”

Their next performance in Austin is set for Oct. 3 with Ditch The Fest, an alternative to Austin City Limits that supports local musicians. The band also has a loosely planned tour of the East Coast in store for summer 2016.

“Live is more fun,” Tazewelll said. “You can respond to the crowd’s energy, and when Ben starts twirling his sticks — you’ll never get to enjoy that in a recording.”

Courtesy of Patch

From left, UT alumnus Wesley Maffly-Kipp and Taylor Tazewell of folk rock band Patch are set to release their first full-length album in September.